


Sonogo Zutto

by 36sakuya76



Category: Ever After (1998), InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale, Naruto
Genre: Cinderella Elements, Coming of Age, Demons, F/M, Family, Feudal Japan, Royalty
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-06
Updated: 2018-08-09
Packaged: 2018-09-22 09:18:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 31,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9600581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/36sakuya76/pseuds/36sakuya76
Summary: At the young age of 10, Kagome loses her elder sister Kikyou and is left to be raised by the new Head Miko of the Higurashi Shrine, Lady Kaguya. Ten years later, Prince Sasuke tries to run from an arranged marriage to find adventure and look for his brother, Itachi, who is missing. The two of them meet and Fate begins to weave her threads. Will they allow themselves to love or will duty come first?





	1. Tragic Loss

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is a Naruto/InuYasha fic that is based off the 1998 movie Ever After with Drew Barrymore. It does start off the same but there are changes to the fic as the story continues.  
> Disclaimer: I do not own the animes InuYasha or Naruto. I don't own the Ever After: A Cinderella Story movie.

It was a peaceful morning at the Higurashi shrine. The Higurashi had once been a noble and prosperous family but due to the death of many of them, the family had become small and all they had was the shrine that many villagers came to give their prayers. The last of the Higurashi family were two sisters and their grandparents. The current head of the family, Kikyou Higurashi, took the role of Head Miko and teacher to young children who had spiritual powers. But being a teacher and the head of the family was quite a bit of responsibility for her so Kikyou had left the shrine for days at a time to find another powerful miko who could assist her in taking care of the manor. For months there had been no luck until Kikyou sent the family a message claiming that she found another powerful priestess and that she would be bringing her and her pupils to the Higurashi shrine.

The day had come and Kikyou's beloved sister Kagome was getting ready for her arrival. Ten year old Kagome couldn't keep still as fourteen year old Tenten, Kikyou's apprentice, was getting her properly dressed.

"Oh Tenten, it feels just like my birthday." Kagome exclaimed. "I get a new teacher and new friends all in one day!"

"Yes." Tenten nodded as she was adjusting Kagome's small miko garbs. "It'll be exciting with the new powerful priestess. Oh hold still Kagome!" Tenten fussed as Kagome kept squirming and running around her room.

Kaede entered the room carrying several white towels. "Kikyou deserves all the help she can get, with raising Kagome on her own, taking care of the shrine, and teaching the young children. This new miko must be very powerful and very beautiful from what I've heard."

"Do you think she'll like me?" Kagome asked as she glanced down at her clothes while twirling her hair with her fingers.

"Aye child. She will love you." Kaede said as she was placing the towels away. "Just be the little angel that I know is in there somewhere."

"And _don't_ go chewing on the bones at dinner and give yourself away." Tenten added. A knock came from the window and Kagome crawled over her bed and ran to her window ignoring Tenten who was calling out to her.

"Kagome! Your sister will be here any moment!"

Kagome glanced down at the window to see a ten year old Uzumaki Naruto throwing small rocks at her window. Kagome scowled. "Naruto, I told you. Not today!"

Naruto squinted up at Kagome and gasped. "You look like a girl!"

Kagome rolled her eyes at the obvious fact. "That's what I am you idiot!"

"Yeah, but today you look it!"

Kagome snarled. "Boy or girl, I could still whip you!"

"Oh yeah?" Naruto challenged. He ran off and Kagome wasted no time in running away from the window and out of the room after him with Tenten and Kaede both calling after her.

* * *

 

Kikyou was riding a horse, leading a carriage to the Higurashi shrine. She was eager to return home. To return to her beloved little sister and her dear grandparents. She would have been home by now but the miko she was bringing back insisted on taking their time due to their valuable luggage being in another carriage and she did not dare want to risk damaging her possessions. Kikyou was quite surprised that the woman had quite a large amount of belongings but then again she did come from a large city and had the luxury of being able to possess such fine clothes and expensive jewelry. Regardless, they made to the shrine at the top of the mountain and Kikyou took a breath of fresh air as she spotted the manor behind the shrine.

As Kikyou came into view the servants quickly spotted and gathered around the front of the manor and stood straight. A new miko was coming and they wanted to make a good first impression.

Kikyou's grandfather, Hisao Higurashi called out to the servants who were attending the animals near the back gardens. "Look lively! Kikyou is here!" Kikyou pulled her horse to a stop with the carriage stopping behind her. She got off her horse as her grandfather approached her.

"Welcome back, Kikyou." Hisao smiled.

"It's good to be back Grandfather." Kikyou replied as she gave her grandfather a hug.

"I see you have brought us a new miko."

"I brought an entire house of mikos." Kikyou said as she glanced around curiously. "Although I seem to be missing a sister."

She was about to ask her grandmother Kaede and her student Tenten about her sister's whereabouts when the carriage door opened and everybody turned their attention to the individuals coming out. The first were two young girls around the age of 4. The first was a girl with short dark red hair that went down to the bottom of her cheeks. The second girl had long dark blue hair that stopped at her shoulder blades. They both had black eyes and they were just adorable. The next person to come out was a girl that looked like she was around Kagome's age. She had long black hair and blue eyes. Finally, the miko herself placed her foot outside the carriage and slowly began to make her way out. Everybody leaned closer to get a better look at the elegant miko. She finally stepped out and everyone stood up straight.

To the surprise of the servants, she did not look like a miko at all. Instead of wearing miko garbs like what they've seen Kikyou and Kagome wear, this one wore an elegant kimono. She had a purple outer kimono with several different colored layers. The second kimono was a pale pink-white, the third was a dark green, and the innermost layer was a soft pale yellow color. She had necklace that contained turquoise beads and pearls. Her black hair had two light purple fin-like kanzashi hair ornaments at the top of her head. Her black hair was so long that it reached down to her knees when she stood. She was also quite beautiful with her pale skin and dark eyes.

She glanced at the manor and gave a small smile. "Ah Kikyou, it's absolutely charming really."

Kikyou bowed in thanks when she heard the voice of the person that she had missed so dearly.

"Sister Kikyou!"

Kikyou turned to see her sister Kagome run up to her with her arms open. Kikyou bent down and picked up her sister. She kissed Kagome's cheek and took a good look at her sister. She was covered head-to-toe in mud. Her clothes were caked, her hair was a mess and had clumps of mud tangled in it and there was a splatter of mud that ran down the right side of her face.

As Kikyou held Kagome in her arms, Kaguya's lips turned into a thin line. This was the younger sister of the prodigy miko? She wrinkled her nose at the sight of the girl. Apparently she was covered in more than just mud.

Kikyou laughed. "Oh look at you Kagome. Just as I left you. I suspect that your friend Naruto is around here somewhere?"

Kagome shook her head proudly. "No Sister. I slaughtered him."

Kikyou raised an eyebrow. "Oh? So you-" She turned around to find Naruto limping his way to them. He was worse condition than Kagome was. While Kagome had splatters of mud all over herself. Naruto looked like he bathed in mud. There wasn't a single place where he wasn't covered.

Kikyou tried to hold in her laughter. "So you did."

She set Kagome down and sighed. "I had _hoped_ to present a little lady." She looked Kagome over and gently patted Kagome's arm. "But I suppose that you will have to do."

She turned Kagome around to face the newly arrived miko. "Kagome I present to you, the miko known as the Princess of the Heavens, Lady Kaguya and her students Tsubaki, Momiji, and Botan."

Kaguya glanced down at Kagome. "Hello Kagome. At last we meet. Your sister speaks highly of you." She motioned towards the young girls standing behind her. "Ladies, say hello to your new companion."

All three girls bowed politely. "Lady Kagome." They greeted.

* * *

 

After dinner, Kikyou allowed the ladies to settle into their new rooms and get comfortable. She spent the rest of the evening with Kagome talking about her travels and the people she came across. Kagome was in her night clothes, washed up and ready for bed when Kikyou pulled out a box and handed it to her.

"Here. This is for you." Kagome took it curiously and opened it. Inside the box was a small thick book that had their family name on it. She opened it and flipped through the pages. Inside were lists of names and dates.

"What is it?" Kagome asked.

"It is a family book." Kikyou replied. She took it and flipped towards the end of the book where the last few pages were bank. "What we have right here is a record of all our ancestors in the Higurashi family. Starting from the Lady Midoriko, one of our first ancestors, and ending with the names of our parents."

Kikyou pointed in the book to the names of their deceased parents. Kouji & Cheiko Higurashi. Kagome frowned as she didn't remember their parents a whole lot. She had no recollection of what they looked like or what kind of people they were. The only thing that she recalls were the stories that her sister and her grandparents told her. Kikyou noticed the sad look on Kagome's face and gently patted her leg.

"Come on. Let's get some sleep."

As she tucked Kagome in, Kagome glanced at her sister. "Did you see the way that they ate their dinner? It was perfect! Like noblewomen."

Kikyou smiled. "Do you like them?"

Kagome nodded. "Very much."

"Good. Because tomorrow I have to head out. I've been asked to slay a demon in the northern part of the country."

Kagome sat up. "But you just got back!"

Kikyou sighed. "I know. But I need to go."

"For how long?"

"About 5 weeks."

Kagome pouted. "Two."

Kikyou narrowed her eyes. "Three."

"Two."

"Three." Kikyou stated firmly. When Kagome wouldn't budge Kikyou placed her fist next to Kagome's. Kagome prepared her first and they did one round of rock-paper-scissors. Kikyou's paper lost to Kagome's scissors. As Kagome finger-cut Kikyou's hand, Kikyou sighed in defeat. "Alright. Two."

Kagome smirked in victory. She settled into bed as Kikyou tucked her in again and kissed her goodnight.

* * *

 

The next morning, Kikyou was adjusting her traveling gear in preparation for her trip. As she got her pack and her horse ready, she couldn't help but feel a slight chill run down her back. She spread out her senses but . . . nothing. She wanted to push it aside but her grandmother always told her that no matter what, always trust your feelings. So she stayed alert.

As soon as she was ready she glanced back at everyone who was standing in front of the manor. No one had a smile on their face. Kikyou let out a chuckle. "Why the gloomy faces everyone? I will be back in two weeks."

Kaede looked up at her granddaughter and nodded. "Then go quickly child. The sooner ye go on thy journey, the sooner the celebration of thy return."

Kikyou nodded. "Very well." She glanced at her sister and then at Lady Kaguya's young apprentices. "And hopefully by then, the four of you will have got to know each other better."

Kikyou kneeled down to Kagome's height and gripped her sister's hands gently. "I'm counting on you to teach them how we do things around here. Lady Kaguya is not used to getting her hands dirty." Kagome glanced her sister sadly. She still kept the gloomy face even though her sister tried to give her comfort. When Kikyou kissed her cheek, Kagome still looked down at the ground.

Kikyou climbed upon her horse and glanced down at her grandfather. "Take care of Kagome for me."

Hisao smiled and nodded. "Safe journey, Kikyou."

Kikyou pulled the reins and the horse galloped down the pathway and onto the mountain trail. Kagome and the rest of the household watched her leave as Kaguya clapped her hands.

"Come along now Ladies. Time to return to your lessons."

As they were about to go inside the manor, Kagome called out. "Wait!"

They stopped and looked at her puzzled. Kagome continued. "It's tradition. She always waves at the gate."

Lady Kaguya turned her nose up at the girl and continued inside, with her apprentices trailing right behind her. Kagome frowned and ran down to the end of the pathway on their home to watch Kikyou wave at the gate that was located down the mountain. As Kikyou galloped her way down the mountain, the cold chill she felt earlier returned. She glanced around for any danger but again, just like earlier, she didn't sense anything. Just as she was about to make it to the gate. A large demon leaped out of the trees and charged towards Kikyou.

Kikyou pulled on the reins, stopping the horse, and was about to pull out her bow and arrow to kill the creature when it plunged its arm through Kikyou's chest, causing her to fall off the horse.

Kagome watched in horror as her sister fell and the demon pulled back its arm from her falling body.

"SISTER KIKYOU!" Kagome shrieked as she ran down the trail to her sister. The rest of the household gasped as Kaede aimed an arrow at the demon and shot at it. The arrow hit the demon and killed it. Kaguya, having heard the commotion, stepped outside the door to see what all the fuss was about. She saw Kikyou's body on the ground and immediately ran towards her.

Kagome ran to her sister's side with tears in her eyes as she called out to her. It made Kagome even more frustrated when she didn't respond. Kagome knelt next to Kikyou unsure of what to do. Out of mere frustration she began to shake Kikyou repetitively. Kaguya made it to Kikyou before the rest of the household made it to her. She gently turned Kikyou so that she could face upward. She glanced at the gaping hole in Kikyou's chest and glanced down at Kikyou pitifully. With all her medical knowledge, there was nothing she could do.

Kikyou weakly opened her eyes and glanced at Kaguya. Then she slowly turned her gaze to Kagome, who was gripping her hand and pressing it against her tiny face which was dripping with tears. Kikyou smiled and whispered. "I love you. You will become a great miko someday. I know you will."

With those words, Kikyou's eyes slowly fell shut permanently as Kagome's sobs grew louder and Kaguya looked down sadly at the girl. Kagome threw herself at her sister's body and wailed. Kaede and Tenten tried to pry her off the body but Kagome just slapped their arms away.

"Leave me alone! Kikyou please come back!"


	2. And So It Begins

_After the tragic death of her dear sister, Kikyou, it would be 12 years before anyone special would enter Kagome’s life. A young man who was still a boy in many many ways._

12 Years Later . . .

It was late in the night. The palace was quiet and its inhabitants were resting. Well, most of the inhabitants in the palace were resting. The young Uchiha Sasuke was quietly and slowly climbing down the wall of the tower where his room was located. As he was making his escape, the King and Queen were non-too-quietly making their way towards his chambers.

His father, the King, Uchiha Fugaku was not very pleased at the moment as he was angrily making his way to his son’s room. His mother, the Queen, Uchiha Mikoto was not pleased either. Although her anger was for a reason different from her husband’s.

“I have signed a contract with the Hyūga clan and dammit, that boy will obey my will if it’s the last thing he does! If not, there will be hell to pay.” Fugaku snarled as he storming through the palace in his night garments and his silk robe. Mikoto would have laughed at the ridiculous state her husband was in if not for the fact that she was fatigued and in a foul mood herself. So rather than poke fun at the king Mikoto sighed at her husband’s short temper. “But he does not love her, my dear.”

Fugaku scoffed. “It’s not about love!”

Mikoto huffed back. “Well perhaps it should be.”

Fugaku scowled at his queen and continued to his son’s room. Their son was behaving like a child! Early today, they had informed Sasuke that he was to marry the Hyūga clan heiress by the end of the year. Needless to say, he didn’t take it so well and they both ended up getting quite the protest from their son. Fugaku didn’t know what to be more angry about. The fact that their son, who normally behaved well, suddenly made an outburst like that. Or the fact that the contract he signed between the Royal Uchiha family and the Noble Hyūga family was already stressful and he would honestly _not_ have his son marry a woman of the Hyūga clan. But they really had no choice that this point. 

“If he is to be king he must learn to accept his responsibility.”

“A seed cannot grow in the shade of a mighty oak, Fugaku! He needs sunlight.”

“He needs a good whipping.” Fugaku muttered.

Mikoto understood her husband’s anger but she was too exhausted to deal with a stubborn, short-tempered husband and an equally stubborn and short-tempered son. She sighed impatiently. Why did Sasuke have to be his father’s son? “Really Fugaku! Can’t this wait until morning?!”

“If I can’t sleep, neither shall he!”

The king burst into the room with the queen trailing after him. “Sasuke, wake up!” Fugaku growled, only to discover that Sasuke’s bed was untouched. Both Fugaku and Mikoto glanced at the open window which had a long rope made of his curtains trailing down the wall of the tower.

Mikoto steadied herself as she sat on her son’s bed. “Oh no. Not again.”

Fugaku turned to the guards. “Call the Royal Guard. Bring him back!” 

* * *

 

In the Higurashi manor, in the lower basement in the storage, a young woman slept near the fireplace with a book clutched to her chest. It was almost dawn when the woman stirred and slowly began to wake up. Higurashi Kagome stretched and slowly began to rise from her straw bed near the fireplace that was all burnt out now. Kagome frowned as she realized that she wasn’t in her bed. Ah, she fell asleep reading near the fireplace again. This wasn’t her bedroom but working all day just to take care of the manor tired her out. She should have gone to bed after all her work was done but the family book that her dearly departed sister left her was too precious for Kagome. Noticing that the book was open in her lap, Kagome flipped it over to see the page where she had written Kikyou’s name right underneath her parents. And next to her name was also her date of birth and date of death.

Kagome let out a sad sigh as she glanced at the window. The sun was rising. It was time to get up and get to work. She closed the family book and placed it on a small stool next to the fireplace. As she made her way outside, Kagome took note that she was covered in ash soot. She didn’t mind since her chores were about to get her dirty anyway so she just did a quick brushing of herself with her hands. As she walked into the kitchen, she picked up the bucket carrying last night’s leftovers and took it outside as she tied an apron around her miko garbs. She walked out the back door and down to the pig pen where she dumped the leftover food. She then placed the bucket right outside the pig pen where Tenten would pick it up later and headed down the mountain into the apple orchard that lay at the base of the small mountain.

She made it down to the orchard and found some apples lying on the ground near the road. Kagome knelt down, started gathering apples, and placing them in her apron. She then heard galloping and turned behind her to see the Royal Guard riding quickly past the orchard. Her eyes followed the patrol but she paid no more mind to it and went back to her task at hand. As soon as she felt she had enough apples, Kagome made her way back to the Higurashi manor.

As she was walking up the stairs that led from the road at the base of the mountain to the shrine, Kagome clutched the edges of her apron that formed a pouch where she kept her apples. When she was almost at the top Kagome heard a commotion coming from the lower fields where the horses were. She paused and made her way towards to the fields to get a better sound. It sounded like . . . Kochō! That was Kikyou’s prized horse!

When Kagome made her way to the field she heard shouting and saw a cloaked man riding her sister’s horse. She felt a wave of anger as she realized that this man was trying to steal her sister’s horse! That bastard! How dare he! Kagome huffed as she ran down towards the field.

“C’mon you stupid beast! Come on! Yaw!” The man yelled as he forced the horse to jump over the hedges.

“Oh no you don’t.” Kagome grumbled as she ran, apples forgotten. As she let go of her apron, the apples fell to the ground and Kagome picked one up and hauled it at the cloaked thief. The apple hit bullseye as it bounced off the man’s forehead. The man _oofed_ as he clutched his head as he rolled backwards and fell off Kochō. As the man grunted while he rolled on the ground, Kagome wasted no time picking up more apples and chucking them at him.

“Thief!” She yelled as the next apple hit him in the back of the head as the man was trying to stand up with the cape flipped backwards over his head.

“This will teach you to steal my sister’s horse!” Kagome yelled as she continued to throw the apples at the thief.

“Please.” The man started as he tried to dodge her aim but was having no luck with the cape still flipped over his face. “My own slipped his shoe and I had no choice!”

Kagome grew even angrier. “And our choice is what?” She yelled as two more apples hit their target. “To let you?!”

“Wait! Please!” The man protested. “I was only borrowing it.”

Kagome ignored his words. “Get out! Or I’ll wake the house!”

A couple more hit the man until one hit him again in the forehead and knocked him to the ground. He cursed and fell flat on his back. Pissed, he tore the cape off and quickly stood up. Kagome was about to haul another apple at him when she saw who it was. It was Prince Uchiha Sasuke! Kagome felt herself beginning to panic as she dropped the apple in her hand and immediately fell to the ground on her knees.

“Forgive me, your Highness. I did not see you.” Kagome gasped as she lowered her head. Her loose hair falling past her shoulders, covering her face.

Sasuke frowned at the girl as he rubbed his forehead. That really hurt. The wrench. “Your aim would suggest otherwise.” He remarked coldly.

Kagome flinched and lower her head further to the ground. “And for that, I know I must die.”

Sasuke was about to get on the horse when he turned around to face the servant. That response was way overboard for his liking. “Then . . . speak of this to no one and I shall be lenient.” Sasuke then turned to the horse and stroke its mane as he propped himself upon the horse. It seemed to have calmed down once the girl appeared. She was probably its master. It was understandable, the horse was not comfortable having a stranger suddenly ride it away from its home. But he couldn’t worry about that now, he’s wasted too much time already.

As he was prepared to leave, the girl spoke. “We have other horses, Highness. Younger, if that is your wish.” Kagome’s hands clenched into fists, hoping that he would take any horse but Kochō. Knowing that he could order her execution, she prayed that he would take the bait and not use her sister’s horse. After her sister died, Kagome took extra care to tend to Kikyou’s things. Her horse was top priority. _Please don’t let him take it_ , Kagome inwardly begged.

Sasuke inwardly scoffed. Was she trying to negotiate with him? “My wish” He sneered. “is to be free of my gilded cage.” A thought popped into the prince’s head. This ought to please her. He reached his belt and pulled out a fairly large bag. He turned it upside-down and dumped the contents onto the ground next to the servant girl. “For your silence.”

Kagome froze when she heard the clattering of coins fall to the ground. She slowly turned to look at them. Her eyes widened as she noticed the large amount of money on the ground. She was about to ask the prince why he would give so much but as soon as she lifted her head she found that he was already gone. Disappointed that he took the horse, she glanced down at the coins.

* * *

 

Back at the Higurashi manor, Lady Kaguya and her apprentices had sat down at the table and began to eat their breakfast. Ever since the Head Miko of the Higurashi shrine passed away 12 years ago, Kaguya was announced as the new Head Miko since Kagome was only 10, much too young to be announced the new Head, and Kaede had already reclaimed her position as Head when Higurashi Chieko passed away shortly after Kagome’s birth. As knowledgeable as Kaede was, she was much too old to take on such responsibility. Tenten had not completed her training and as she was only an apprentice and not part of the Higurashi family, she wasn’t qualified to be the Head Miko. At least, in Kaguya’s eyes she wasn’t.

Kaguya wasted no time in taking over the Higurashi manor and how things were done. She knew that the Higurashi family was powerful but she had no idea that they were a poor family. She quickly erased that thought. No, they weren’t _exactly_ poor but they didn’t have very much to be considered middle class. When Kaguya accepted Kikyou’s offer, she assumed that she would be living a life of comfort. In the cities, there were not many demons and as such there was nothing for individuals with spiritual powers to do in the city. Kaguya made a living by fortune telling and performing at the city festivals.

She heard about Higurashi Kikyou around 15 years ago when Kikyou was only 13 when she became the Head Miko of the Higurashi shrine. After the death of Kouji and Chieko Higurashi, Kikyou was only 8 years old and Kaede took over as Head Miko until Kikyou completed her training at such a young age. She not only trained the apprentices at the shrine very well but, she also took good care of the manor and slayed demons with ease. She was quite a prodigy and became well known throughout small towns in the country. It wasn’t long before word of this prodigious miko spread throughout the cities. But it didn’t spread too far. Not far enough to reach ears of noble and royal families. After all, since demons didn’t not appear in cities, there was no need for mikos and monks.

After Kikyou’s death, Kaguya had hoped to make a fortune out of the Higurashi shrine. She required all students that did not live in the manor to pay for their lessons and she ended up firing servants just to save money. For the most part, it worked out really well except for Kaguya’s spending habits. She spent quite a large amount of money on her pupils. Her eldest student Tsubaki in particular. It even got to the point where she had the Higurashi family work in order to stay at their home. Of course, they tried to reclaim their property but since Kaguya was made the new Head Miko there was nothing they could do. It’s not they could take it to court. They couldn’t afford it and the family was correct to assume that the king would not waste his time with property matters concerning a poor family. It didn’t matter to Kaguya. She didn’t plan on staying here that long anymore. She had made an effort to prepare her students for entering the royal court. Since demons were a thing of the past, she knew that Tsubaki would have to either marry or find a profession. While Tsubaki had education and skills in the exorcisms and techniques of dark mikos, they were not useful in the world ruled by men. The use of sorcery was shamed upon and those who used it dealt within the black market and Kaguya was _not_ about to let her pupil deal in the black market. Tsubaki’s best chance of making it in the world was to marry in the royal courts.

While Kaguya was musing over what to do, Kaguya’s pupil, Tsubaki, glanced at her four eggs that were displayed in front of her. She wrinkled her nose in disgust when she realized that those fools had cooked her breakfast incorrectly, AGAIN! She slid the bowl to the side. “I said I wanted four-minute eggs. Not four one-minute eggs and WHERE IS OUR BREAD?!”

Kaede removed the bowl from the table. “It’s just coming out of the oven, my lady.”

As Kaede returned to the kitchen Kaguya turned to her student. “Tsubaki. Precious. What do I always say about tone?”

“A lady of breeding ought never to raise her voice any louder than the gentle hum of a whispering wind.” Momiji replied as she was eating her boiled egg.

Tsubaki glared and shook her head at the girl while Kaguya scowled at her apprentice. “Momiji, dear. Do not speak unless you can improve the silence.”

“I did not shrill, I was resonant. A courtier knows the _difference_.” Tsubaki sneered.

Kaguya raised an eyebrow. “I very much doubt that your style of resonance would be permitted in the royal court.”

Botan and Momiji glanced at one another and awkwardly continued eating their breakfast. “But I’m not going to court am I, Miko-sama? No one is.” Tsubaki muttered as she glared at the table and let out a small pout. “Except for some Hyūga pig they have a nerve to call a princess.”

“Tsubaki, nothing is final until you are dead. And even then I’m sure the gods negotiate.” Kaguya tapped her boiled egg with her spoon and glanced in front of her. She let out a sigh. “Why is there no salt on this table?”

She turned her head towards the kitchen. “Kagome!”

* * *

 

Kagome inwardly flinched as she heard her teacher call for her. “Coming!” She dumped her pouch of apples that she gathered back up, into a basket and quickly went to get the salt.

“Oooooohhhh. She’s in one of her moods.” Tenten quietly wailed as she was pulling the bread out of the oven.

“It’s a wonder if the sun rises in the east.” Kaede said sadly as she was preparing Tsubaki’s eggs.

“Yes Grandmother, it did.” Kagome poured gold coins on the table. “And it’s going to be a beautiful day.” Kagome cheered.

Tenten’s eyes widened as she stared at the coins. “Oh look at all those! Kagome, where did you get them?”

“From an angel of mercy. And I know just what to do with them.”

Kaede’s eyes widened as she realized Kagome’s meaning. “Hisao?”

Kagome nodded. “If Lady Kaguya can sell Grandfather to pay off her debts then these coins can bring him home. The court will have to let him go.”

“But the king has already sold him to the Feudal Lords! He’s bound to be sold as a slave for hard labor!”

Kagome’s eyes narrowed. “This is our home and I will not see it fall apart.”

Kaguya’s voice pierced their ears. “We are waiting.”

Tenten gathered the coins from the table and shoved them into Kagome’s apron pockets. “Take good care of these Kagome, or these coins are as good as hers.”

Kagome grabbed the plate of bread, Tsubaki’s eggs, the salt, headed out of the kitchen and towards the dining room. She walked in the room and placed the bread at the center of the table. She greeted the mikos as she turned to give Tsubaki her breakfast. “Morning Miko-sama, Tsubaki-san, Momiji-chan, Botan-chan. I trust you all slept well.”

Momiji and Botan beamed and gave their greetings to Kagome as Kagome set the salt next to Kaguya’s plate. Kaguya glared at the girls, who quickly looked down and continued eating. She turned to Kagome. “What kept you?”

“I fell off the ladder in the orchard but I’m all better now.” Kagome lied. There was no way that she was going to tell her teacher that the prince stole one of their horses. She would have a fit and then she might decide to sell her grandmother and Tenten if she wanted to. That was something Kagome wanted to avoid at all costs. Kaguya was the Head Miko and she made the final decision in everything concerning the property.

“ _Someone’s_ been reading near the fireplace again.” Tsubaki flatly stated. She wrinkled her nose upward as she saw Kagome’s miko garbs being covered in ash. “Look at you, ash and soot everywhere.”

“Some people read because they cannot think for themselves.” Kaguya mused as she sprinkled salt on her egg.

“Why don’t you start sleeping with the pigs, Hai-hime, since you insist on smelling like one?”

Kagome narrowed her eyes at Tsubaki while Kaguya glanced at her pupil with amusement as she finished sprinkling salt on her boiled egg. “That was harsh, Tsubaki.” She turned towards Kagome and gently pulled her arms towards her. “Kagome. Come here, child.”

Kagome stepped in front of Kaguya and bent down slightly as Kaguya took this time to analyze Kagome. “Hmm. My dear, your appearance does reflect a certain . . . crudeness. It’s not very appealing. What can I do to make you try?”

Kagome fiddled with her apron as she looked down, refusing to meet Kaguya’s eye. “I . . . I do try Miko-sama. I do wish to please you. Sometime I spend nights thinking of what else I could do. How I should act. What I should try-”

Kaguya waved her away. “Oh, calm down, child. Relax.”

Kagome paused. “If . . . if we brought back Grandfather then perhaps I would not offend you so-”

“It is your manners that offend me!” Kaguya interrupted. Kagome, Momiji, and Botan flinched at her tone while Tsubaki smirked coyly. “For years I have sheltered you, fed you, clothed you, and even took you in as one of my apprentices. All that I ask is that in return you help me care for the manor without complaint. Now is that so difficult? Is such an extoridinary request?”

Kagome sadly shook her head. “No, Miko-sama.”

Kaguya nodded. “Very well. Now we have no more of talk of bringing servants back.” As Kagome left Kaguya shook her head. “After _all_ that I do. After _all_ that I’ve done, it’s never enough.” Tsuaki nodded her head in agreement while Botan and Momiji sat there looking at anywhere but the two of them.

“Silly girl.” Kaguya growled as she tapped her egg.

* * *

 

Riding deep into the forest, Prince Sasuke was making haste as he followed the trail that would lead to the borders of the Fire Country. After he left the servant girl in the fields, the horse was getting agitated again but wasn’t as resistant as before. It seemed to have calmed down once they were in the forest. Although this was his father’s kingdom, Sasuke wasn’t too familiar with what was outside of the palace as far as citizens were concerned. He knew his geography and knew which kingdoms were where and all that but he didn’t know any details concerning the kingdom which his father has promised him. If he did, he would know that the forest he had entered was a dangerous forest for humans. It was demon territory and no humans would dare go in there. There hadn’t been many demon appearances lately but as far as the young prince was concerned, they were just a myth.

Sasuke looked up ahead to see a man with long white hair and a woman with a large boomerang fight a couple of demons that attacked the man’s carriage. Sasuke halted the horse, unsure of what to do when he heard galloping of several horse behind him. Hoping that it was not the Royal Guard, Sasuke begrudgingly turned around to see the Royal Guard heading their way. With his cousin, Shisui, leading them. He gritted his teeth. Great. Just what he needed. He began to make his way past the carriage when the man tugged at the saddle.

“Wait a minute. You can’t go in there. There are too many demons.”

Sasuke growled. “I can take care of these small fry.”

He was about to continue on his way when a horde of ogre demons charged towards him.

“Hiraikotsu!”

A large boomerang spun towards him and cut right through the ogres. Leaving them in two halves each. The boomerang returned to a woman who was dressed in a black jumpsuit with pink armored plates and a mask covering the lower half of her face. When the weapon was back in her hands, she gave a firm glare at the prince. “He just warned you _not_ to go in there! Are you incapable of listening?”

Sasuke glared at the woman. Did she know who she was talking to? The tall man stepped in between the two. “Alright. Alright. Now let’s not get too excited. The demons are all gone so let us all just relax.”

Looking around to make sure that all the demons have been disposed of, the woman tsked. “Since the Royal Guard is here my duty is finished. I shall leave you to your escorts.” The woman bowed and was about to head into the forest when the white-haired man stopped her.

“Now wait just a moment. I haven’t paid you yet for all your troubles.”

The woman shook her head. “It was no trouble at all. I shall take the remains of the demons as payment.”

Sasuke raised an eyebrow while the man chuckled. “Very well. May your journey be a safe one.” 

The woman bowed in thanks as she loaded the in-tact corpses onto a large cart and walked deeper into the forest with it. Sasuke just stared at her in surprise. Was she really going to go in the forest where all those creatures were? Just who was she?

* * *

 

In the market, Lady Kaguya was glancing at jewelry from a displayed table. She picked up a broche and placed it in the center of Tsubaki’s dress, just right below her breasts. Kaguya frowned. No. It will not do. She turned to the owner. “No. It’s much too small. It needs to draw some attention.”

The man sputtered nervously. “My lady, I’m afraid anything larger will make her fall over.”

“Perhaps you are quite right.” Kaguya sighed. “I’ll guess we’ll just have to look elsewhere.”

“Wait!” The man protested. “I may have just the thing!” Kaguya and Tsubaki turned back to see the offer the man had.

Meanwhile, Uzumaki Naruto was gazing down at them through the window of his study where he was training. He was training to become a marital artist like his deceased parents and idol.

“Kagome, have you lost your mind? Do you know what the punishment is for commoners, especially servants, who dress above their status? Five days in the dungeons!” He lifted up all fingers on his right hand to emphasize his point.

Kagome huffed. “What’s the big deal? You’d do the same for me.”

“Me? Pretend to be a courtier? Dancing around like some nobleman while I have never been to court. And neither have you!”

Kagome headed to the dressing room. “Then I won’t be recognized.” She pointed to the dress that was sitting on a chair. “Now hand me that gown so that I can be on my way.”

Naruto tossed the gown into the dressing room. “No one’s going to buy it, Kagome. You’re too sweet.”

“They won’t buy a servant for 30 gold coins either. You have to understand, I’m Grandfather’s only hope.”

“And your teacher? What did you tell her?”

Kagome smiled as she was putting on the dress. “I am picking wildflowers. Can you still see her? What’s she doing?”

Naruto took a glance outside. “Her and Tsubaki are buying a broche.”

Kagome sighed loudly in disbelief. “Unbelievable. She practically ignores the shrine and the manor. Blames us for her debt and still pretends to have money to burn.” As soon as Kagome was fitted into the gown, she opened the door. “Now don’t you dare laugh, I’m coming out.”

Kagome slowly walked out of the dressing room in a light blue kimono that had lavender sprinkled around the bottom of the kimono. Naruto’s eyes widened as he gaped at Kagome, who was shyly making her way towards him. Her head was down and she fiddled with her fingers as her quiet voice shattered the uncomfortable silence.

“The shoes are a bit too big.”

Naruto snapped out of it as he glanced down at her shoes. “No one will be looking at your feet. Trust me.”

Kagome sighed as she ran her fingers over the dress. No matter how many layers this thing gave her, she still felt naked. Noticing her discomfort, Naruto walked up to his friend. “Look, if you’re going to be a noblewoman, you need to play the part.” He lifted her chin up and looked at herstraight in the eye. “You look down to no one.”

Kagome gave Naruto a small smile. “I’m just a servant in a nice dress.”

Naruto grinned. “Come on. We need to have Tenten do something about that hair of yours.”

* * *

 

While Sasuke glanced at the woman leaving, the big white-haired man was tidying up his carriage and talking with a few members of the Royal Guard. Sasuke turned back to the horse he borrowed when Shisui rode up to him. Judging by the scowl on his face, Sasuke could tell that he clearly wasn’t happy.

“Sasuke, you promised.”

“I know. I lied. I’m sorry if I wanted to live the way I see fit before I gave it away.”

The white-haired man turned towards Sasuke. “So why didn’t you?”

Sasuke merely shrugged. “Perhaps it’s because I lack conviction.” He glanced at the belongings in the carriage. “You seem to have it in your possessions. The way you protected them, you made it seem like it was a matter of life and death.”

The man grinned as he pulled out a painting. “A woman always is.” He unrolled a painting to reveal a blonde woman with a large chest and brown eyes.

Sasuke frowned at the painting. “She laughs at me. As if she knows something I don’t.”

The man chuckled. “The lady had several secrets. I merely painted one of them.”

“Lord Jiraiya of the Legendary Sanin has been invited to the palace as the artist in residency.” Shisui informed Sasuke.

Sasuke’s eyes widened. “The Toad Sage Jiraiya?” It couldn’t be.

Jiraiya laughed and sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. “Well-”

Sasuke couldn’t believe his luck. He gripped the sage’s shoulders and shook them. “Lord Jiraiya, you are a master of supremacy who is free. You are the legend of forward while my father is the king of backward. Perhaps you can talk him into the century of today.”

Jiraiya looked at the prince questionably. “Captain Shisui, please translate.”

Shisui nodded. “Ah, Prince Sasuke suffers from an arranged marriage. Among other things.”

Sasuke nodded in agreement, only to pause and glare at Shisui immediately afterwards.


	3. A Lady of Aptitude and Conscious

After Lord Jiraiya had made sure that his possessions weren't damaged, Shisui, who was the Captain of the Royal Guard, wanted to escort the Royal guest to the palace. But first, there was something that he wanted taken care of before they did that. Prince Sasuke and Captain Shisui were heading up the road to the Higurashi manor with the patrol and Lord Jiraiya's carriage trailing right behind them. When they galloped past the gate and trotted towards the manor, Lady Kaguya opened the door and headed out to greet the patrol.

"Ah, your Highness. What a lovely surprise." Kaguya stated as she bowed. "To what great pleasure do we owe this honor?"

Feeling Shisui's glare, Sasuke responded to the miko as politely as he could. "Your horse. I'm returning it." He motioned behind him and one of the Royal Guards led the horse towards the stables.

"Oh. Was it missing?" Kaguya asked.

"Yes. I took the liberty of borrowing it this morning." Sasuke said, recalling the events of earlier today. "I'm afraid to say that I may have frightened one of your servants. A young woman with-." A smirked formed on Sasuke's lips as he gently touched his forehead where a couple of apples had hit him. "With a very good arm actually."

"She is mute, sire." Kaguya responded immediately.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Really?”

Kaguya nodded. Sasuke frowned. “She spoke quite forcefully."

Kaguya's lips tightened. "It comes and goes. But as always, his Highness is welcome to anything he wishes." She said as she gave a small smile.

Sasuke forced a smile as well. He hated this. The smiling, the polite words, the women who would gossip and giggle every time he was around. It was exhausting. But no matter what he felt, he was taught to behave above all that. His mother had always taught him to treat all ladies with respect. He respected her and so he did, begrudgingly. He was about to tell Shisui and the guards that they were leaving when he heard a commotion coming from inside the manor. Three young women shoved each other as they barged outside the house and stood straight next to their Head Miko. As they straightened themselves, Shisui raised an eyebrow and glanced at Sasuke. All he needed was to see that one look on Sasuke’s face to know what was going on inside his head. Anyone who didn't know the prince any better would have saw a blank stare. But not Shisui. Shisui knew his cousin well and from the tightening of the jaw and the slight twitch of his eyebrow, Shisui knew that Sasuke was trying his very best not to scowl openly in front of the women.

"Oh ladies. There you are." Kaguya smiled as she quietly disproved of their entrance. Honestly, the prince himself willingly approached the manor and this was how they were going to behave?! "Your Highness, may I present Kuro no Hoshi Tsubaki-san, of the House of the Servants of Heaven." She motioned towards Tsubaki, who stood up straight and gave Sasuke a sly smile. "And Momiji and Botan." Momiji straightened her pearl necklace while Botan adjusted the feather in her hair.

Sasuke barely spared the girls a glance. "Ladies. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Kaguya smirked as her pupil straightened. "We're  _so_ looking forward to the celebration of your engagement."

"Yes. Well . . . there have been several new developments in regards to the Hyuga family." Sasuke muttered with a roll of his eyes, not noticing Tsubaki, Momiji, and Botan slowly inching their way closer to him. From his right, Sasuke felt a slight kick of Shisui's boot. Sasuke mentally sighed. It would appear that his cousin was not pleased with his behavior. He contemplated on what to do. Might as well give one woman a compliment. That usually works. One compliment concerning their looks and the ladies would be swooned for days. It was honestly quite incredible. He turned randomly to the tallest woman.

"I have to say, Tsubaki, that brooch is quite . . . stunning." 

Tsubaki looked down where the brooch was on her dress. She placed a hand delicately over the brooch and gently brushed the top of it with the tip of her fingers. "This old thing? You're too kind." She slowly lifted her eyes and met his gaze. 

Sasuke shivered. That was a bad idea.  _Please let her look at anywhere but me._  Sasuke mentally begged. He really hoped that he didn’t give her the wrong impression. If that was true then she would be a bigger annoyance than Sakura and Ino, who were noblewomen in the royal courts. He tried to look to Shisui for help but Shisui was trying to cover his laughter by clearing his throat. Unbeknownst to Sasuke, Shisui saw the reactions of the other two girls that were standing next to Tsubaki. After Sasuke gave Tsubaki a compliment about her brooch, Momiji crossed her arms over her chest and non-too-subtlety tried to lift her small breasts higher while Botan removed the feather from her hair and shoved it in her cleavage where the folds of her kimono where. The sight was too hilarious for Shisui. He had to turn away to hide his snickering as to not embarrass the young girls.

“These developments, I trust, are for the best?” Kaguya asked, paying no heed to what her two youngest pupils were doing.

Sasuke sighed. “Let us hope so.” He turned to Kaguya’s apprentices. “Good day ladies.”

They all bowed while Sasuke and Shisui turned and started making their way back to the palace.

* * *

Kagome was running through the higher part of town as she was making her way to the royal palace. It was past midday and she prayed that she wasn’t too late. She was holding up her kimono to prevent herself from accidentally tripping and falling down. The shoes were big and hard enough to walk in, much less run so she decided use her own sandals rather than wear expensive-looking shoes she couldn’t properly walk in. It also didn’t help the fact that Tenten took longer than necessary to fix her hair, which was in a round hair net laced with small pearls. She needed to get to the palace before the sold servants were taken to the Great City of the Fire Daimyo.

In the Fire Country, the Fire Capital was the largest city in the country where the Fire Daimyo lived. It has shops, theaters, trade markets, and restaurants that had foods that came from different countries all over the continent. The Kingdom of Konoha, where the Royal Family dwelt, was not as large but it had a larger military force and was the center of the High Council, which was made of the noble families and advisors to the King. Konoha was a place where all the nobles, advisors, and military families resided in. The city was arranged with the Royal Palace at the center, with its gardens and court yards spreading out acres. The houses that surrounded the palace where the homes and residences of the noble families and the advisors with the military families and commoners living outside and spread out in the valleys and small mountains. Since Konoha mostly consisted of nobles, the King was very strict on handling crime, wanting to give his kingdom a proficient appearance. So any criminals were set out of the kingdom and to the city where the Fire Daimyo would choose their punishment. The king gave no restrictions to what methods or punishments he gave, just as long as criminals were out of the street. The Fire Daimyo happily obliged since he was also given the freedom to control the spoils of the city to his desire. He could do whatever he wanted and he would be wealthy beyond measure. It was an unjust and cruel system, but Kagome knew it was all politics.

And because of that, it caused innocent people, like her grandfather, to be punished because Kaguya wanted to quickly earn more money. Kaguya had sent her grandfather to court, claiming that his debt to her wasn’t paid. Of course, the royal court would never listen to the words of a servant so they took Kaguya’s word for it because the Higurashi family didn’t have money to pay for a trail. Higurashi Hisao had taught her everything she knew about sutras and spells. And she was NOT going to allow him to be taken away from her!

Huffing and puffing, she finally made it to the front gate that was located on the opposite site of a large wooden bridge, where guards were blocking off the entrance preventing commoners from entering. When the guards saw her running towards them they stood to the sides and let her through.

“Make way for the lady.” Someone called out. The guards stood up straight and the commoners were ushered to the side, when Kagome came through. She slowed down and walked past the guards with her head held high. As soon as she was through, the guards stepped back into their position and blocked the gates. Kagome took a deep breath, they didn’t even give her a second glance. Now that she was in, all she had to do was find her grandfather. She looked around as nobles were conversing amongst themselves in the front courtyard of the palace. The courtyard was a flat spacious area with marble floors and small fountains that were displayed in front of the entrance of the palace building. Kagome doubted that they would keep servants that were sold here, next to all the nobles. So where would they be?

Kagome turned to her right to see two young noblewomen conversing amongst themselves. One had long blond hair tied up into a large bun and the other had her pink hair tied into a five strand braid.

Kagome walked up to the ladies. “Excuse me?” The women turned to her as she made her way towards them. “Do you know where I might find the servants who have been vended by the king?”

The young woman with the pink braid pointed to the east side of the front gate. “There’s a commoners gate over there where they take the criminals to the Fire Capital.”

Kagome turned to the east where she saw commoners handing in papers, having their cargo checked, and being hustled in line. Kagome bowed in thanks. “Thank you.”

She quickly made her way to the gate as the two women looked at her questionably.

“Do you know who she is?” Yamanaka Ino, heiress of the Yamanaka noble family asked her friend.

“No. I’ve never seen her before.” Haruno Sakura, daughter of the army general, answered.

Kagome ran to the gate where she saw a large man escort her grandfather into a caged cart where other chained individuals were in. Some were criminals, some were servants, and some were homeless individuals who were picked off the street by bounty hunters. Once Hisao was inside, the man locked the cage, sat on the front of the cart, and directed the horse towards the gate. Kagome gripped the small bag with coins tightly as she took a deep breath. _Breathe Kagome. Breathe. Sister Kikyou, give me strength._

Kagome quickly ran in front of the cart and gripped the reins on the horse. The horse came to a stop and Kagome stood up straight as she spoke with a clear voice. “I wish to address the issue of this gentleman. He is my servant, and I’m here to pay the debt charged against him.” She pointed to her grandfather who was gripping the cage bars and staring wide-eyed at Kagome.

“You’re too late.” The large man said lazily. “He’s already been bought and paid for.”

Kagome held up a small bag. “I can pay you 30 gold coins.”

“And he can have me for 30 gold coins.” The man muttered. “Now drive on!” He said to the man directing the horse. The man began pulling on the reins of the horse, only for Kagome to pull on them, stopping the horse once again.

“I demand you release him at once!” Kagome stated. “Or I shall take this matter to the king.” Although she spoke with authority, deep down she was quite nervous. Her heart pounded beneath her chest as she tried to think of a way to convince the man to let her grandfather go. She had to think of something fast or her grandfather would be gone for good!

“The king’s the one who sold him. He’s now a property of Fire Daimyo.”

Kagome felt her blood boil as the man referred her grandfather as property. How dare he! Her anger clouded her judgment as she slowly stalked her way towards him. “He’s not property at all, you ill-tempered monster! Do you think it right to chain people like animals?! I demand you release him at once!”

“Get out of my way!” The man spat in Kagome’s face.

“You dare raise your voice to a lady, sir?” A voice asked behind Kagome. Kagome froze as she recognized that voice. It was the prince! Kagome felt her heart race as she began to panic. What if he recognized her? What was she going to do?

Unbeknownst to Kagome, the prince and the Royal Guard entered through the front gate while Kagome was arguing with the man. Because several commoners and nobles were turned towards Kagome, a crowd formed around her. The people kept their distance but they stayed close enough to hear what Kagome and the guard were saying. Intrigued, Sasuke directed his horse towards the crowd to see what the commotion was about with Shisui and the rest of the Royal Guard, including Lord Jiraiya’s carriage, trailing close behind him. When he approached the crowd, serval noblewomen whispered amongst themselves. They smiled and giggled as they looked at the handsome young prince coming their way.

Sasuke ignored them as he glanced at one of the guards arguing with one of the courtiers. He frowned as he didn’t recognize her. But then again, he was only seeing her back side and not her face. He was quite curious as who the young woman was. Not very many courtiers would have the nerve to argue with one of the guards.

Kagome slowly turned around and bowed before the prince, avoiding eye contact with him. The guard glanced up at Sasuke and nervously chuckled. “Your Highness. Forgive me sire. Uh, I meant no disrespect. It’s just that . . . I’m following orders. It’s my job to take these criminals and thieves to the Capital.”

Kagome turned around to look at the guard and back around to the prince. “A servant is not a thief, your Highness, and those who are cannot help themselves.”

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, bewildered by her statement. “Really? Well then, by all means.” He turned towards Shisui and the Royal Guard. “Enlighten us.”

Kagome swallowed and then spoke. “If you . . . suffer your people to be ill-educated and their manners corrupted from infancy. Then punish those for which their first crime disposed them,” She turned to the cage where her grandfather was. After seeing the proud look on his face, Kagome smiled at him and turned back to the prince. “What else is to be concluded, sire, is that you first make thieves and then punish them.”

The crowd stared at her in silence. Her words were true. What could they say to that? They all looked at the prince, half expecting him to respond to that statement but it seemed that Prince Sasuke was just as shocked as they were. The few individuals that were pleased with her statement were a few older noblewomen. They were quite amused and gazed at the young lady approvingly.

The prince snapped out it and quickly composed himself. “Well. There you have it. Release him.”

The guard paused. “But sire-”

“I said, release him.” Sasuke repeated sternly.

The guard bowed. “Yes sire.”

Kagome couldn’t help the smile as she followed the guard and waited for her grandfather to come out. When the man released her grandfather, Kagome shoved the bag of coins in the guard’s hands before she gripped her grandfather’s arms.

“I thought I was looking at your mother.” Hisao whispered as he looked up and down at Kagome.

Kagome smiled and whispered back. “Meet me at the bridge.” She raised her head up high and gave him an ‘order’ in front of the nobles. “Prepare the horses, we’ll leave at once.”

Jiraiya had gotten out of his carriage, once the Royal Guard stopped. Curious as to why they weren’t continuing towards the palace, he stepped out of the carriage to see a young noblewoman dispute with a guard. Jiraiya had to admit, he was impressed by the young lady. But there was something about this noblewoman that threw him off. He couldn’t put his finger on it until he glanced down at her feet.

Once Hisao walked away Kagome walked up to the prince and bowed. “I thank you, your Highness.” She then turned and began to make her way towards the front gate. Sasuke watched her leave and then got off the horse. He glanced back at her and followed the young woman, ignoring Shisui’s questioning look and the looks from the other nobles.

He couldn’t quite put his finger on it but something about her seemed familiar to him. “Have we met?”

Kagome quickly looked behind her; surprised to see the prince following her. Oh no. This wasn’t good. She’d better come up with something fast before he recognized her. She would be in serious trouble if her identity was discovered! She quickly faced forward and picked up her pace. “I-I do not believe so, your Highness.”

Sasuke glowered as he caught up with her and kept the same pace as he walked beside her. “I could’ve sworn I knew every courtier in the kingdom.”

“Well, I’m visiting a cousin.” Kagome lied, hoping he would leave her alone.

“Who?” Sasuke asked.

“My cousin.” Kagome flinched as she gave a lame response.

Sasuke couldn’t help but smirk. “Yes, you said that. Which one?”

Kagome looked at him. “The only one I have, sire.”

“Are you coy on purpose or do you honestly refuse to give me your name?”

Kagome quickly shook her head as she looked at the prince. “No.” She paused and continued forward. “And yes.”

Sasuke jogged in front of her and walked backwards to stay in front of her as she walked. “Then pray tell, give me your cousin’s name so that I may call upon her to learn who you are. Anyone who can quote Thomas Moore is well worth the effort.”

Kagome stopped in her tracts and gazed at the prince in amazement. “The prince has read _Utopia_?” She couldn’t believe it. _Utopia_ was one of the books that Kikyou used to read to her when she was a little girl. It was one of her sister’s favorite books.

The prince shrugged. “It’s sentimental and dull. The everyday life of rustics bores me.”

Kagome immediately frowned. “I gather you don’t converse with many peasants.”

The prince scoffed. “No. Of course not. Naturally.”

Kagome brushed past him. “Excuse me, your Highness, but there is nothing _natural_ about it.” She clenched her fist. “A country's character is defined by its "everyday rustics," as you call them. They are the legs you stand on and that position demands respect, not-”

“So am I to assume that you’re calling me . . . arrogant?” Sasuke asked as he once again stood in front of her.

Kagome sighed. Honestly, did all nobles and royalty look down on those beneath their status? “Well, you gave one man back his life.” She turned around and motioned towards the others in the caged cart. “But did you even spare a glance at any of the others?” Sasuke turned to look at the men that were being taken to the commoner’s gate. Kagome was about to slip past him when he stepped in front of her again.

“Please wait. A name. Any name.”

“I  . . . I fear that the only name I can leave you with is . . . Chieko.”

Sasuke smirked as Kagome moved past him and made her way to the gate. “There now. That wasn’t so hard, was it?”

Kagome was about to turn around when they both heard the Queen calling out to Sasuke. “Ah, Sasuke. You’re finally back.”

Sasuke turned towards his right where his mother was coming out of one of the many palace gardens while being accompanied by ladies of the Royal Court. “Hello Mother.”

This was her chance! Kagome took two steps away from the prince while keeping a close eye on him. When he didn’t look at her, she picked up her kimino and ran to the front gate, disappearing in the crowd.

“The king would like to have a word with you.” Mikoto informed her son.

“He usually does. I shall be right there.” Sasuke mused. He turned ahead to face the lady, only to find her gone. He glanced around, searching for her but she was nowhere to be seen.

* * *

Back at the Higurashi manor, Tenten was practicing her archery as Kaede was tidying up the garden. Although Tenten was quite skilled at archery, she’d preferred to use other tools, like ones ninja would use. With the help of Higurashi Hisao, she learned how to enchant spells on other tools so that she could purify demons with weapons other than a bow and arrows. Tenten looked up at the sky and sighed. It was two hours after Noon. She wondered if Kagome managed to pay for Hisao’s release. If she did, they should have been back by now. What was taking her so long? She uneasily glanced down at Kaede who was busying herself with the garden. She must be worried. Tenten glanced back at her target and continued to practice her archery.

Down in the gardens, Kaede was pulling weeds with a hoe. After Kagome left, she had been trying to distract herself with work to keep her mind off Hisao. She was afraid for him. They both were getting quite old and if he did any hard labor then he would collapse from exhaustion and they might beat him to death for it! She stood up straight and stretched her back when she saw Kagome, Naruto, and her husband walking up the hill towards the manor. She gasped as tears leaked from her eyes and rolled down her wrinkled cheeks. She picked up her miko robes and ran as fast as she could towards them. Tenten saw Kaede run from the garden and glanced around to see where she was running to. She put her bow and arrows down, walked over to get a better look and smiled when she saw Hisao walking along side Naruto and Kagome. She leaped over the walls of the training area and ran after Kaede.

Hisao looked up and saw his wife running towards him. He smiled as he ran towards her with open arms. They embraced and cried as Naruto and Kagome smiled at the sight. Tenten ran towards them and hugged the both of them. All three of them hugged, cried with joy, and opened their arms towards Naruto and Kagome, who eagerly joined them on the group hug.


	4. Marriage Contracts

_The King was standing in the throne room near the window with a solemn look on his face. He gazed out starring at his wife who was sitting on a bench in the gardens with her face red and puffed. Now her face was dry with no tears left to shed._

_One of the king’s advisors, Nara Shikaku, walked into the throne room with one of the generals, Uchiha Tekka, walking right behind him. Shikaku stopped a few feet away from the king. “Sire-”_

_“Don’t say it.” The king interrupted. The mood that Shikaku carried told him all he needed to know. “You didn’t find him.”_

_Shikaku said nothing. He looked back at Tekka, who stepped closer to the king. “Your Highness, we’ve been looking for one year and we have found no trace of him at all. Half of your army has been around the entire kingdom and the neighboring kingdoms looking for him. Sire, we need to start accepting the possibility that he may not be alive.”_

_“He’s my son!” Fugaku stated. “As long as there is breath in my body, I will do whatever it takes to find him.”_

_Shikaku nodded. Although the search may be futile, he would not try to stop the king. He too, had a son after all. “If I may, your Majesty, perhaps it would be best if we try another alternative.”_

* * *

The king was leaning over a table in the court room with a couple of his advisors surrounding him. He was glaring at the map of the kingdoms and the contract when he heard the door open. He didn’t have to lift his head to know that his son was being escorted in by the Royal Guard with the queen trailing behind them. Sensing the tension build up in the room, the advisors slowly backed away from the table to give the king and his son some space.

Fugaku glared up at his son. “You, young man, are hereby restricted to the palace grounds!”

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at his father. “Are you putting _me_ under house arrest?”

Fugaku slammed his hand on the table. “Do not mock me boy! I’m in a foul disposition right now! And you will heed my warning or I’ll-”

“Or what?” Sasuke interrupted. “Send me off like a criminal? And all for what? The sake of that stupid contract?”

“You are the Prince of Konoha!”

“And it is my life!” Sasuke snarled.

Fugaku was about to explode when Mikoto walked towards her husband and gave him a stern glance. “Fugaku, sit down before you have a stroke.” She sighed. “Honestly, you two.” The king growled and begrudgingly sat down on his seat while Sasuke leaned against one of the columns in the court room.

She turned towards her son. “Sweetheart, you were born to privileges and with that comes specific obligations.”

“Forgive me Mother, but marriage to a complete stranger never made anyone in this family happy!”

Mikoto looked down at the floor sadly while Fugaku turned and glared at Sasuke. “Stop making such a fuss Sasuke! You’ve been out of control for the past couple of years! Ever since your brother-” The king froze as he realized the statement he was about to claim.

The prince glared at the king and stood up straight. “He’s not dead!”

The queen attempted to console her son. “Sasuke-”

“NO!” The prince yelled. “You may have accepted that Itachi’s dead but I haven’t. I will not give up on him! He still lives.”

Fugaku sighed. He did not have time for this. Getting back to business at hand. “Sasuke, you will marry Hinata by the end of the month or I swear to you that I will strike at you in any way I can.”

Sasuke rolled his eyes. “What’s it to be Father? The hot oil or the rack?”

Fugaku stood up and stared down at his son. “I will . . . deny you the crown and . . . live forever!” He mentally cringed when those words escaped his mouth. Did he really just say that? Damn, he was getting old. Mikoto shut her eyes patiently while her husband was quietly steaming beside her.

Sasuke glared at the king. “Agreed. I don’t want it.” He stormed off out of the room and towards his chambers when Fugaku turned towards his wife angrily. “He’s your son!” He turned to his advisors and snapped his fingers towards the map on the table.

Mikoto sighed and glanced in the direction her son stormed off to. He was just as stubborn and short-tempered as her husband was. If only Itachi was still here. Deciding right then and there that it would not end like this, the queen turned towards the king and sent him a glare telling him that they would talk later. She was pleased when he made eye contact with her and nodded. He would talk with her, after he had cooled down and once his meeting with his advisors was done.

* * *

Tsubaki and Momiji were playing a board game in the living room with Botan reading a book near the fireplace. Tsubaki was staring at the board, pondering her next move when she heard footsteps in the hallway. Tsubaki smirked and was moving a stone on the board when Kagome walked in with a handful of wildflowers.

"Somebody's in trouble." Tsubaki sang.

Kagome turned towards Tsubaki with a frown on her face. "What are you talking about?"

Kaguya stormed in the room, grabbed Kagome's sleeve and shoved Kagome on one of the chairs in the living room. "You stupid, stupid girl!"

Kagome quickly gripped the armrests on the chair and starred wide-eyed at Kaguya. "It's disgusting. Why the whole thing makes me sick. It's deceitfulness Kagome and I will not have it in this house!"

Kagome glanced around uncertainly. "What did I do?"

Tsubaki leaned back while fiddling with one of the stones to the game board. "Think Kagome. Think really hard."

Kagome looked at Momiji, who mouthed a couple of words while tapping her pointer fingers on the board. Momiji quickly stopped what she was doing as soon as Tsubaki glanced her way. Botan peeked at Kagome nervously from behind her book was Kagome's mind clicked.

"Prince Sasuke stole our horse this morning?" Kagome slowly stated while keeping her head down.

"Yes!" Kaguya sarcastically exclaimed. "And that would explain why he returned it this afternoon." She crossed her arms and glared at Kagome. "How dare you let him surprise us like that!"

"I'm sorry."

Kaguya huffed as she placed her hands on her hips. "Luckily for you, Tsubaki was able to give quite a performance. She and the prince had an exchange."

Tsubaki hummed in agreement. "Yes. I wouldn't be surprised if he stopped by again soon."

Kagome glared at Tsubaki while Kaguya crossed her arms again and tapped her foot. "Come now. I must know everything that was said between the two of you. He said you were forceful. What did you say?"

Kagome opened her mouth and paused. She glanced at Botan and then Momiji, who were both sitting still and stealing a couple of glances at Kagome.

"I . . . I called him a thief and-" She saw Tsubaki covering her mouth to hide her snickering and quickly stammered. "I-I didn't recognize him!"

Kaguya laughed as she too covered her mouth with her hand. "Ah Kagome, why you poor country girl." She let out a sigh. "Well, we must work extra hard to keep the manor spotless right?"

Kagome quickly nodded.

"We can't have a royal bottom sitting on a dirty cushion now can we?" Kagome shook her head.

Tsubaki grinned at her teacher when she heard others enter the room. She turned to see Higurashi Hisao, Kaede, and Tenten enter the room. Tsubaki glanced at them confused. "What is  _he_  doing here?"

Kaguya turned to look at Hisao who was next to his wife. Hisao cleared his throat. "I have worked off yo-" He paused when he noticed Kaguya's glare. "Uh  _my_  debt madam. They told me I could go home."

Kaguya frowned. "Fine. Go catch a chicken and prepare our dinner." She waved him off and he quickly headed outside towards the gardens. She turned around to see Kagome still seated in the chair. “Well what are you waiting for?” Kaguya demanded. “Go on.”

Kagome immediately stood up, picked up the flowers from the floor, and scurried out of the room after her grandparents. 

* * *

After the prince stormed off the king glared down at the map of the Five Countries as he was talking with his advisors about the chaotic state of the Lightning Country that was located northeast of the Fire Country. Although the current king, Ay, was a kind and caring man he also had quite the short temper. A couple of months ago, his younger brother, Killer B, had vanished leaving a note behind, claiming that he had gone off to train somewhere and he would be back soon. Of course King Ay was not too pleased with this news and had suspected that his brother had snuck off for a vacation. To the relief of the other countries, he did not send his soldiers to neighboring counties to look for him. No, instead he sent a message to all the kingdoms saying that if they found his brother they needed to send him back or send him a message so that he can go and retrieve him.

The continent that they resided in had five major countries: the Fire Country, the Wind Country, the Earth Country, the Water Country, and the Lightning Country. Each major country has a kingdom, where the royal family and their advisors lived, and a capital, where the daimyo and most of the country’s population resided. The Royal Families of the Five Kingdoms were; the Uchiha Royal Family from the Fire Country, the Royal A Family from the Lightning Country, the Kazekage Clan from the Wind Country, the Terumī Royal Family from the Water Country, and the Kamizuru Clan from the Earth Country. The last decade or so have been very peaceful, with all the countries keeping to themselves and only interacting with one another by social gatherings or for discussion of treaties concerning their growing economy and other politics.

The last meetings of the royal families that were held in the Kingdom of Konoha have been extremely difficult for Fugaku. The latest meeting was three months ago where the royal families discussed their successors as a few of them were looking towards stepping down from their thrones. Fugaku was especially concerned with this due to the fact that his only successor was his son Sasuke. That wouldn’t have been an issue if it weren’t for the tradition of noble ties. The Uchiha Family and Hyūga Family were blood-related families and their ancestors made a pact to unite the families but also keep the families pure by having the eldest child of the previous clan leader continue the bloodlines while the younger children were united by marriage to keep the peace between the clans. Since his eldest son’s birth, the king and the Lord Hiashi of the Noble Hyūga family have been discussing future marriage arrangements for their children. The death of Lord Hiashi’s brother, Hizashi, left Hiashi to adopt and take in his nephew Neji as his own. With three children, Lord Hiashi was flexible among the negotiations. Fugaku, on the other hand, was not. Or at least, he used to be. After Sasuke’s birth, Fugaku had his mind set on the negotiations. His eldest son, Itachi, would be his successor and take the throne while his youngest son, Sasuke, would be in an arranged marriage with one of Hiashi’s daughters.

As fate would have it, the king quickly learned that not all things go according to plan. When Itachi reached the age of twenty two, he went out with a small patrol to visit another noble family that was a cousin clan of the Uchiha family. The Noble Senju family governed over small villages that were located near the southern border of the Fire Country. On his journey over there, his family had not received any news from him in days. But the days turned to weeks and the king decided to send a few guards after him to inquire what had happened and why Itachi hadn’t maintained communication. They spoke with the Lady Senju, who was the head of the Senju family and one of the Legendary Sanin, concerning Itachi. Her response was that he did arrive to discuss the marriages between the Uchiha and Hyūga families and left shortly after that. Apparently Itachi was heading towards one of the elders of the Sarutobi family. When asked about the prince, the elder, Sarutobi Hizuren, informed them that he and the prince talked and then Itachi left to head straight back home.

After hearing the news, the king ordered his armies to scout the country to look for his son. To Fugaku’s horror, no trail was discovered. No trace of the patrol. No trace of Itachi. Even Fugaku’s nephew, Shisui, one of the best trackers in his army was not able to find anything that would help him track Itachi and his traveling party. While most speculated that the prince and the rest of the crew were dead, the king and queen were certain that there a possibility that their son was alive. They were determined to find their son. But as days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months, the people of the Konoha Kingdom started to lose hope that their Crown Prince would return to them. The end of the first year was when Fugaku met with the royal families of the four major neighboring countries. He had asked for their help in searching for his son. Much to his gratitude, the countries complied and were just as eager to find him has he was. To Fugaku’s pride, Itachi was well known and loved by the Five Great Countries. He was so loved that they were willing to keep a lookout for him and help find him. But then the second year came and went with there still being no trace of him. Eventually the royal families, including his wife, began to give up and started to believe that Itachi was dead.

Fugaku wasn’t ready to accept it. Not yet. Even if it was true, he still needed closure. The king’s advisor, Nara Shikaku, suggested that they consult with a person of spiritual powers to see if the prince was still alive. In his kingdom, Fugaku discovered and hired Lady Kaguya to see if she could use her powers to find his son. When Lady Kaguya arrived at his palace and heard his request she had informed him that his desire of how to use her powers was not the way that spiritual powers work. So she asked about the whereabouts of his son’s disappearance. When he did, she had informed the king that the southern border of the Fire Country was a demon populated area and very dangerous. Demons were devourers of humans and they left no trace of their prey behind. She used her dark miko powers to see if she could summon his soul from the dead. To the surprise of no one, it didn’t work. No soul was summoned. The priestess informed the king that the prince may be still alive but it also left other possibilities. His soul could be one of those among the living or his soul could have been reincarnated into another body among the two years that he was supposedly missing. Regardless, the king saw it as a chance that his son was alive.

Three years passed and the king begrudgingly had accepted Itachi’s demise. But when he gave up searching, his youngest son began sneaking out of the palace and going on a couple of trips on his own. The king and queen were curious as to why but it was their nephew who informed them that he was on the search for Itachi. To the king and queens surprise, Sasuke did not waver his faith in his brother’s survival. He believed Itachi was still out there and he was determined to prove it.

While Fugaku was proud of his determination he was also worried about his son facing disappointment. What if Sasuke’s search was proven futile? What would that do to him? He knew of the close bond that his sons had and he also knew of Sasuke’s admiration towards Itachi. For Sasuke to fail, it would mean that he would emotionally breakdown. Fugaku didn’t want his son to breakdown. After all, Mikoto had an emotional breakdown and Fugaku had a difficult time comforting his wife and he wasn’t sure if he could deal with an emotional son who was already out of control.

* * *

Kagome and Tenten were outside near the beehives carefully removing the honey combs and placing them on a large plate. They both were wearing large hats with nets that covered their heads down to their chests. They also wore large leather gloves and thick dresses with long sleeves.

“I think it’s so wonderful that you actually got to talk to the prince.” Tenten sighed. “Just like a lady.”

Kagome scoffed as she pulled out another honey comb and placed it on the plate that Tenten was holding. “Scolding him is more like it.” She shook her head as she carefully removed another comb from the hive. “I can’t believe I gave him my mother’s name. I honestly don’t understand what is so appealing about the prince. He’s arrogant, rude, and completely childish!”

“Yes. You keep saying that. _All day_.”

“Well it’s true.” Kagome shrugged. Although she _was_ grateful that the prince returned her sister’s horse. As soon as she learned that Kochō was back, she immediately went to attend to her. To Kagome’s relief, the horse was in good health and very pleased to be home.

“He’s royalty. They’re born like that.”

Kagome closed up the hive and they both headed back to the manor. Once they were a good distance away, they both removed their nets and protective clothes.

“If Tsubaki wants him she can _have_ him. They deserve each other.” Kagome growled.

Tenten slightly hit Kagome’s shoulder. “Don’t you dare say such things! The only ‘throne’ I want that imp sitting on is the one that needs to be cleaned ever night.” The two women laughed as they hung their protective clothing and headed inside. 

* * *

"Who dear?"

"Chieko. She's a cousin of-" Sasuke frowned as he was taking a late night stroll in the gardens with his mother. "Actually, I don't know who her cousin is. Surely you must know her." Sasuke asked his mother.

Mikoto sighed. "Darling, there are many courtiers. Too many to recall the first names of individuals." She turned towards her son. "Why do you ask?"

Sasuke was about to respond when he heard his father come up behind him. "In honor of Lord Jiraiya's arrival I have decided that I shall hold a festival in three weeks’ notice, in which you will announce your engagement to the woman of your choice. Either you announce it or I shall announce it for you. Are we agreed?"

Sasuke stared at Fugaku with wide eyes. Since when did the king negotiate? He turned his eyes towards his mother, who had a pleased look on her face. "And what of the treaty with the Hyūga family?" Sasuke asked.

His father sighed. "Let me worry about the Hyūga family. You have bigger things to concern yourself with." After his meeting with his advisors, he talked with his wife about the marriage arrangements and she was able to convince him to allow Sasuke to make a choice for himself. She even offered to assist him in the contract with the Hyūga family.

His mother turned towards her son. "Choose wisely, Sasuke." 

* * *

Naruto yawned as he felt himself being dragged to the city by Tenten. Tenten knocked on his door at the crack of dawn and loudly informed him that he would be helping her with a couple of minor exorcisms today. There were a couple of demon infestations in the homes of the residents of the kingdom and since Kagome was training and Kaede and Hisao were getting too old to travel all day on foot. And plus, she didn't need the help of another priestess since these were small tasks. And as such, she asked Naruto for help.

Naruto was burning a couple of herbs on the ground and fanning it towards the house. The smoke settled at the bottom and carried its way underneath the house. Tenten was standing on the opposite side of the home with her weapons at the ready. While they were trying to lure the demon out, a couple of nobles were riding their horses along the village when they stopped by and noticed a crowd forming.

Lady Hinata, heiress to the Noble Hyūga family, was riding her horse with her younger sister Hanabi and her older brother Neji. Although Neji was adopted by her father, he was always her elder brother to Hinata. That's why he angrily protested against Hinata's announced engagement to the prince of the Royal Uchiha family. Being Hiashi's eldest daughter, Neji assumed that she would be his successor and marry someone from the Hyūga family. But Hiashi instead announced that Neji would be his royal successor, seeing as how Neji was too, a pure-blooded Hyūga and a male.

Surprisingly, Hinata didn't say anything against the engagement, at least not openly to her father. But when Hanabi and Neji approached her room they heard her sobbing from outside the door. Knowing that Hinata was too kind-hearted, Neji decided to take it upon himself to confront his uncle. But he then discovered that he didn’t need to, seeing the position that the Uchiha Royal Family was in. With only one son as a successor, the king would name Sasuke as Crown Prince who would receive the throne once he stepped down. His uncle, Lord Hiashi, probably saw this as an opportunity to have a Hyūga succeed the throne through Sasuke and Hinata. But Neji knew that the king would never allow that to happen. But no arranged marriage between the two families could lead to disaster. The Hyūga family might take insult to it. So what was the king thinking when he had cancelled the engagement between Sasuke and his cousin Lady Hinata?

Neji was suddenly pulled out of his thoughts when Hinata’s horse suddenly stopped in front of him. He frowned and glanced at his cousin who had a thoughtful expression on her face. He followed her gaze and saw a young man crouched on the ground, fanning a couple of burning weeds underneath a noble’s home. The man was well built for his age and he had light blonde hair. Curious as to why an ordinary man would grab his cousin’s attention, he guided the horse closer to the house to get a better look at the man. Just then, a large rat with three large eyes scampered out from underneath and the house and headed towards Lady Hinata’s horse. Hinata’s horse suddenly backed up on its hind legs and kicked with its front legs, causing Hinata to slide off the horse.

“Lady Hinata!” Neji cried as he jumped off the horse in an attempt to grab her but was suddenly froze when he saw the blonde-haired man who caught Hinata in his arms, preventing her from falling on the ground. The young woman that was with him, with buns on the side of her head, slayed the rat demon by throwing a kunai with a seal wrapped around it. When the rat laid still, the woman carefully picked up the rat and burned its corpse with the burning weeds.

Naruto took in a breath of relief as he caught the young lady in his arms. He didn’t notice her tight grip around his neck as he glanced around to make sure that there were no more rat demons to be disposed of. When he saw that Tenten was burning the rat, he turned towards the noblewoman who had a death grip on him.

“You’re not hurt are you?” Naruto asked.

The young woman snapped out of her trance and glanced up at him. She was about to respond when a man stormed his way over towards them.

“Get your filthy hands off Lady Hinata.” He snarled.

Naruto blinked and glanced down at the woman. Hinata? As in, the heiress to the Noble Hyūga Family Hyūga Hinata? While Naruto was a slow fellow, he certainly wasn’t clueless as to who the noble families were. He made that mistake as a child once and it was Lady Kikyou who saved him and had educated him on the nobility and their status in the royal courts. Until her death, that is.

Naruto gently put the Hyūga heiress on her feet as, what appeared to be, her family members quickly made their way towards her. The young girl quickly gripped the edges of Hinata’s dress and gave a couple of gentle tugs.

“Sister, are you alright?”

Hinata took in a breath and answered her sister. “Yes. I’m alright.” She turned towards Naruto and bowed. “I thank you for your help. I am in your debt.”

Naruto’s cheeks turned slightly pink as he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. “Don’t worry about it, it’s no big deal.”

Hinata’s other member stepped in front of Hinata and glared at Naruto. “Lady Hinata, don’t lower yourself by bowing to him. You owe nothing to him.”

Naruto returned the man’s glare when Tenten placed a hand on his should and stepped right in front of the noble. “Excuse me! Who do you think you are talking to him like that? He was just helping her and there is no need for you to be rude to him!”

Neji glared at the woman. “Hold your tongue, woman. You don’t know who you’re speaking to. I could have you arrested.”

Tenten huffed back at him. “I don’t care if you are of the Noble Hyūga family, I will not sit here and allow my dear friend to be insulted by the likes of you!” She tugged on Naruto’s sleeve and dragged him away from the nobles to continue their tasks. Kagome was right. All nobles were arrogant and rude. 

* * *

On the ride back home, Hinata and Hanabi were quietly giggling among themselves as they were following Neji, who had a furious look on his face. No one has ever spoken to him like that before and got away with it. Hinata smiled as Neji’s fists kept clenching and unclenching. He certainly wasn’t used to having a woman, a commoner nonetheless, yell at him like that. She did admit, it was amusing to watch and she certainly did like the woman and her boldness towards her elder brother. Ah, that reminded her. She also needed to figure out who her rescuer was and how she was to repay him for his kindness. 

* * *

Lady Kaguya was staring intently at the announcement of the upcoming festival that a royal messenger had delivered to the Higurashi manor that morning. It was early in the morning, when the messenger knocked on the door and delivered the message. She glanced at the messenger. “What news of the engagement?”

“Cancelled. Rumor has it that the prince must find himself a new bride before the festival.”

Kaguya’s eyes widened. “Well that doesn’t give us much time does it?” She pulled out a pouch of money and started dropping coins in his hands. “I’ll need to know who the competition is. Every move that the prince makes. And other tidbits you can think of.” Kaguya finished as she dropped a couple more coins in the messenger’s hands.

The messenger glanced at the coins and leaned in towards Kaguya. “The prince is playing tennis with one of the sons of the king of the Wind Country at 2 o’clock in a few days.”

Kaguya smiled as she traced her finger along the messenger’s jawline. “Such fine skin. When my apprentice becomes queen, perhaps we can make certain . . . arrangements.” She smirked at the messenger stared wide-eyed at her. When he left, Kaguya shut the door behind her with a sly smile forming on her face.

Soon.

Soon she will be out of this pathetic manor and into the palace. 


	5. A New Mission

Momiji and Botan were in Tsubaki’s room, helping her prepare an outfit for the Royal Festival. While Botan was digging through the closest Momiji gently pulled out a kimono out of one of the trunks and gently laid it out on Tsubaki’s bed. “How about this one?”

Tsubaki, who was rummaging through her clothes in another trunk, glanced at the kimono. “It’s blue.” She stated flatly.

“But doesn’t Sasuke love blue?” Botan inquired.

“Yes and hundreds of other women will be wearing the exact same color.” Tsubaki protested.

Momiji frowned at the kimono. “I suppose that’s true.”

Botan continued looking through the closet. “There’s got to be something we can find in here.”

“Ugh! This isn’t helping!” Tsubacki roared. “I need Kaguya-sama’s help. Where is she anyway?” 

* * *

 

Down in the storehouse, Lady Kaguya was rummaging through the storage of unique antiques that the Higurashi family owned. She would have sold them but they were all old artifacts that were passed down within the family that were not very valuable.

Kaguya growled as she pushed another box to the side. Dammit! No sign of it here either! Kaguya let out a frustrating sigh as she glanced around. She checked the entire storehouse. Twice. She could have sworn that she looked everywhere! In the manor, in the dojo, in the shrine, and even in the storehouse that hasn’t been touched in years! So why? Why couldn’t she find it?!

The miko was about to blast the storehouse to bits with her powers when she heard a knock on the door. She turned around to find Tenten opening the door and scanning the area. “Kaguya-sama?”

“Yes? What is it?” Kaguya asked as she made her ways towards the young woman.

Tenten quickly bowed, seeing the Head Miko make her way towards her. “I don’t mean to interrupt, Miko-sama but Tsubaki-san has been asking about you.”

Kaguya motioned for her to follow. “What does she need?”

“She seemed very distressed about choosing an outfit for the upcoming festival. She is in her room with the other students.”

“I see. And what of Kagome?”

“She is out collecting firewood.”

Kaguya continued towards Tsubaki’s room. She opened to find Tsubaki throwing her clothes all over her room while Momiji and Botan were trying to pick up after her.

“What are you girls doing?”

Tsubaki turned around and pouted at her teacher. “Where have you been? I’m in desperate need of aid!”

Kaguya hummed. “I heard.”

“So where _were_ you Miko-sama?” Botan asked.

“Legend searching.” Kaguya commented offhandedly. “So where are you?”

“Tsubaki, apparently, doesn’t have an outfit for the festival.” Momiji growled while gesturing to all the outfits scattered all over the room.

Tsubaki glared at Momiji. “I don’t have anything suitable to the festival hosted by the Royal Family!”

“If only you could tell us what you were looking for-”

“Something fit for a queen!” Tsubaki pouted and threw herself on her bed in a fit.

Kaguya put a finger on her chin and pondered for a moment. She suddenly stood up and motioned for her student to follow her. “I have just the thing. But we must speak of this to no one.”

As she left the room, Tsubaki eagerly followed her. “Oh I love a good intrigue.”

Not wanting to miss out, Momiji and Botan quickly followed them. They all followed Kaguya into her master bedroom. She walked over to the trunk that laid at the foot of the bed. “Waste not. Want not.” She carefully opened up the trunk and uncovered a silver kimono with gold linings and a cotton layer.

When she pulled out the kimono and held it against her chest, Tsubaki gaped and carefully held the delicate cloth between her flingers. “Oh, perfect.” She stood up straight as Kaguya placed the dress against Tsubaki’s body.

Botan glanced inside the trunk and saw a pair of golden shoes tucked neatly on the side of the trunk. She picked them up with Momiji peaking over her shoulder. “Wow, look at those shoes.” Momiji exclaimed.

“Where did you get these?” Botan asked Kaguya.

“They’re Kagome’s dowry for her wedding.” Kaguya explained. Well, they were technically Kikyou’s but the dowry was passed down to Kagome once her sister passed away. But Botan and Momiji weren’t foolish enough to believe that Kagome wasn’t aware of it. It was most likely that Hisao and Kaede knew and had informed Kagome of her inheritance, whatever inheritance they had left when Kaguya took over the manor.

Botan frowned. “But Kaguya-sama, if that’s Kagome’s then she’ll probably want to take it to the festival.”

Tsubaki let out a loud sigh. “Oh please. She’s not of noble blood. It’s not like anyone’s going to notice.”

Kaguya hummed as she was checking the sleeves against Tsubaki’s arm. “Agreed. Who would notice? No one.”

“Well, she is a miko like us and she has been trained underneath Kaguya’s guardianship. So she is part of our family and she does deserve to go with us. Right?” Momiji suggested. Botan nodded. She thought it was a good idea too. She liked Kagome. She was nice, patient, and a great teacher whenever she or Momiji needed help.

Tsubaki rolled her eyes. “Exactly whose side are you on?”

Momiji was about to interject when Kagome walked into the bedroom carrying a bundle of logs for the fire. All of them froze and looked at Kagome who had a frown on her face.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Kagome asked. Botan and Momiji glanced at Kaguya and Tsubaki, waiting for a response while they stuttered.

“W-well-”

“We were just airing out your dress for the festival.” Kaguya smiled.

Momiji and Botan frowned. _Her_ dress? “But you said-”

“I-I suppose for a commoner’s dress it will have to do.” Tsubaki interrupted. “It’s practically an antique.” She glared at the dress in disgust.

Kagome tilted her head slightly with a confused look on her face. “You wish _me_ to go with you to a festival?”

Tsubaki nodded while Kaguya placed the kimono back in the trunk. “Why yes. I thought we could go as one big happy family. You know, me and my precious students all together.”

“I . . . I don’t know what to say.”

Kaguya sighed. “Honestly child. It hurts that you don’t think that I see you and the rest of my students as my own daughters. Of course, after you finish your chores and training, and behave yourself until then.”

Botan tossed the shoes in the trunk with a scowl on her face while Momiji followed behind her and let out a disgusted grunt as she followed her sister out the door.

Kagome shrugged her shoulder towards them. “What’s the matter with them?”

Tsubaki shook her head with a pitiful look on her face. “Oh, they don’t want you to go.”

Kagome narrowed her eyes and looked down at the floor as she slowly made her way to the fireplace. Momiji and Botan didn’t want her to go to the festival with them? That didn’t make any sense. If she knew them well, which she was pretty sure that she did, they would be ecstatic to go with her. She turned around to look at Tsubaki and Kaguya, who were carefully folding her mother’s kimono and placing it back in the trunk. Oh well, the festival was three weeks away and she had to prepare for her task she was hired to do in a few days.

A messenger from the Earth Country approached the Higurashi manor to speak with Lady Kaguya about an assignment that the Earth Daimyo wanted completed by a miko. He had requested for the Head Miko Kaguya to send a powerful miko to the No Man’s Land. The No Man’s Land was a country that was famously known for no human ever leaving. But everyone who was knowledgeable with demons knew that the land was highly populated with demons and among them was called The Land of Demons. When Kikyou went on her travels to slay demons in different countries, she had informed Kagome of the dangers of that land. The danger was not that the demons claimed that country but that any knowledge of that land was nonexistent within society. No one knew anything about it or showed any concern towards its. They had decided to scare any curious folks away from this land by using myths and horror stories.

But to Kagome’s surprise, Kikyou didn’t encourage any curious visitors to enter that land.

_Only those who are worthy are chosen to enter. Remember Kagome, curiosity leads to the discovery of the novel. However, you must also respect what doesn’t permit you to approach._

Kagome remembered her sister’s words as she got a fire going. She heeded the advice that Kikyou gave her but she couldn’t help but feel curious as to what was there. And especially why the Earth Daimyo would want her to go there in the first place. The Land of Demons and the Earth Country only shared a small border. In the west part of the continent the Earth Country was in the northern region and was bordered by the Land of Caves, the Land of Demons, the Land of Plants, and the Land of Lakes. There hadn’t been many appearances of demons lately but a couple of them could cause trouble. She supposed that something might have happened but she needed to visit the King of the Earth Country first before she can take any action. After all, if she was involved with any business with the Daimyo then the king should know about it as well.

But there was also something that bothered her. Even though demons were a threat in these lands, there were not very many of them. Not anymore. She remembered her grandparents telling her that during the time of their grandparents, powerful demons dominated the continent. Apparently a Higurashi ancestor fought a power DaiYoukai and received a gift that has been passed down in the family for generations.

DaiYoukai were very powerful demons that were much stronger and smarter that the common demons that they usually purified. Most of the DaiYoukai had long lifespans, they lived for hundred thousands of years. Some were even assumed to be immortal. Regardless whether it was true or not, they had longer lifespans than the typical youkai. Kagome remembered her grandfather telling stories about them.

The DaiYoukai were also famous among monks and mikos to be calm in battle. Even if the situation was dire and/or their life was threatened. They never lost control of their inner demon. But what truly troubled her grandfather the most was that the DaiYoukai tended to vary in shape and size. But not like the common demon. Oh no. The most powerful DaiYoukai had the power to transform into human-like forms. And according to once famous Higurashi Hisao, the demons who took on a human form were the ones who were the most dangerous.

But the DaiYoukai were no longer roaming the lands. Slowly, as man started to populate and increase drastically in numbers, the powerful demons slowly started to appear less and less frequently. By the time her grandparents were born, demons were a rare sight to see, much less DaiYoukai.

Kagome headed out of the room and stepped outside and headed towards the side of the mountain where a small lake was located. She smiled as she remembered her sister telling stories about a particular DaiYoukai that earned quite a reputation amongst mikos and monks. Kikyou would often talk about this DaiYoukai that led armies of demons to battle and conquered lands. She talked about his battles, his kingdom, and his kind. She described their power and what their capabilities were.

_A young Kagome was quite skeptical that such remarkable beings existed. She looked up at her sister and was in awe about how detailed her description of these creatures were._

_‘Sister Kikyou, you make it seem like you were there with the DaiYoukai on these adventures.’_

_Her sister laughed. ‘Oh no, Kagome. That man was long gone before my time.’_

_Kagome frowned in confusion. ‘But Kikyou, how could you know so much about this demon if you haven’t met him in person?’_

_Kikyou just stared at her little sister with a thoughtful expression on her face. After a moment, Kikyou let out a small sigh and gently rubbed her sister’s head without replying._

Even to this day, Kagome still didn’t understand what was going through Kikyou’s mind when she just stared at her. No matter. She would soon head towards the Earth Country and head to the Land of Demons. If she was lucky, maybe her mission might let her steal a glimpse of a DaiYoukai. Oh wouldn’t that be an adventure! 

* * *

 

A young woman was dragging a cart with ogre remains when she saw a glimpse of her village walls. It took her a long time but she finally made it home. The slayer walked towards a fort that was barracked by thick wooden walls and a steel gate. As she approached the gate, a guard yelled out.

“It’s Sango! Open the gates.”

The Taijiya waited patiently for the entrance to be clear before she made her way inside. When she was safely inside, the villagers began to gather around her.

“Welcome home Sango.”

“We’re so relieved to see that you’re safe.”

“What was the prey this time?”

Sango gestured to the cart behind her. “Just a couple of ogres. I brought a couple of parts. Do you think we can use them for armor?”

While a few of the slayers took the cart away the rest moved to the sides to allow the village chief through. Sango stood up straight and bowed before the Taijiya Head Chief.

“Welcome back, daughter.”

“Thank you Father.” She stood up straight and faced her father, Katsuro.

“How did the mission go?” Katsuro asked as he motioned her to follow him.

“The escort was eventful.” Sango replied as she trailed after her father. “I slayed a few ogres and brought their remains back home. However, I must mention that the demons in the southern border of the Fire Country have not been successfully eradicated. After all our attempts to slay them, they seem to be constantly appearing in that land.”

Katsuro frowned. “I see.” He entered his home and stopped in front of a small shrine that had a picture of his late wife with a small box in front of it. “Perhaps it is time.” He pulled out the box and handed it to his daughter.

Sango gripped the box and opened it. When she glimpsed inside, her eyes widened. “This is . . .”

“Yes. We need to find them. And soon.”

Sango shut the box and bowed. “I understand Father.”

Katsuro took the box and placed it back in the small shrine. “But we’ll worry about that later. For now, try to get some rest. I know a _certain someone_ who was worried while you were gone.” He turned his head to glance behind him.

Sango’s eyes widened. “What? Is he alright? He’s not sick again is he?”

Before Katsuro could reply, a cry was heard from right outside the house. “Sango!”

Sango turned around and smiled at her little brother, Kohaku, running towards her with her two-tailed nekomata, Kirara, at his heels.

Kohaku embraced his sister while Kirara jumped on her shoulder and rubbed herself against Sango’s face. Sango smiled as she returned her brother’s hug.

“Hello my little brother. Hello Kirara.”

Kohaku smiled. “It’s a relief to see that you’re okay. We were worried about you.”

Sango rubbed her brother’s hair. “Thank you. But as you can see, I’m fine.” She turned towards Kirara and petted her. “I hope you were a good girl while I was away Kirara.”

Kirara purred and rubbed against Sango’s face. Sango laughed as she petted Kirara and allowed her brother to drag her to the rest of the villagers who were celebrating her return.

Katsuro watched his children when he sensed another presence approach him from behind.

The slayer bowed on one knee. “Head Chief.”

Katsuro turned to face the young slayer. “Kenji.”

“The young lord is aware of the demonic activity in the Fire border. He has expressed a desire to meet with the future Taijiya Head Chief to resolve the issue.”

Katsuro closed his eyes and nodded. “I see. Then I shall have you and a few others escort her. I do not want her to enter there alone.”

Kenji bowed once again. “As you wish.”

When the young man left, Katsuro glanced at his children laughing and conversing with the rest of the slayers. Time was running out. They couldn’t keep this up for much longer. They needed a miko. And they needed one quickly. 


	6. Where Home is.

_“Nii-san! Nii-san!”_

_A fifteen year old Itachi turned to see his ten year old brother running towards him. Itachi shut the book he was reading and placed his index finger in front of his lips. “There’s no need to be so loud Sasuke. We’re in a library.”_

_Realizing where he was, Sasuke immediately became silent and slowed his pace. “I’m sorry, Nii-san.”_

_Itachi smiled at his little brother as he placed the book back on the shelf. “That’s quite all right Sasuke. Just be mindful of your surroundings next time.”_

_“Okay.” Sasuke glanced at the book that his brother was reading. “What are you doing Nii-san?”_

_“Reading.” Itachi replied._

_Sasuke scowled. “I knew that. What I meant was what are you reading?”_

_“History.”_

_Sasuke wrinkled his nose. “Why?”_

_Itachi picked up a few pieces of paper that he was writing on and began to head out of the library. “For the sake of the future.”_

_Sasuke quickly trailed after his brother. “The future? What does reading history have to do with the future?”_

_His brother glanced down at Sasuke. “Everything.”_

_“Everything?”_

_“Yes Sasuke. If you want to define the future you need to study the past.”_

_Sasuke narrowed his eyes and shook his head. “I don’t understand Nii-san.”_

_Itachi stopped in his tracks and paused to think for a moment. After consideration Itachi headed to the West tower. “Follow me.”_

_Curious as to what his brother had to show him Sasuke followed his brother up the West tower to the highest room. There, Itachi opened a window and pulled a stool for his brother to step on and peek outside the window. Sasuke climbed on the stool and stared out the window._

_“Tell me Sasuke. What do you see?”_

_Sasuke glanced around and replied. “I see the gardens and a bunch of houses outside the palace garden walls.”_

_“Anything else?”_

_“Hmm.” Sasuke squinted his eyes and noticed a few people wandering around the houses. “I see people.”_

_“What kind of people Sasuke?”_

_Sasuke leaned closer to the window to get a better look at the people. “Well, there are some noblemen. And . . . there are commoners too. But we’re too far up to tell.” Sasuke glanced at Itachi. “What do people have to do with history and defining the future?”_

_Itachi was staring at the view of the kingdom. “Before I answer your question I want you to answer mine. Do you believe that a king should serve his people or that a kingdom serve its king?”_

_Sasuke frowned. “A king serves his people? Nii-san, how would a king serve his people?”_

_Not bothered by the fact that Sasuke didn’t answer his question Itachi responded. “Although a king is the ruler of his kingdom he needs to be a good leader and accepted by his people if he were to be a great king.”_

_Not wanting to miss a single word that left his brother’s lips, Sasuke stood completely still and listened carefully as his brother continued. “You see Sasuke, the greatest leaders are those who share with others the equality in the trials and struggles, the demands and expectations, the laws and punishments placed on the backs of those governed. Their motivation in doing so is compassion towards others, not desire to have power over them. And in order to do that, he must make himself a servant to those he rules over. As such, that leader will become unequivocally respected and loved in return for loving the people._

_“And in order for a great leader to become a servant for his people, he also needs to understand the past of his land and educate his people on it as to avoid repetition. Remember Sasuke, the most effective way to destroy people is to deny and obliterate their own comprehension of their history. So that’s why it’s important to understand history. Not just the history of our country but the history of the world. If you play close attention, history is consistently repeating itself. It consists of patterns._

_“What is called chaos is only patterns that haven’t been recognized. What is known to be random is just patters that can’t be deciphered. What isn’t understood had been labeled merely as nonsense. Because of this, it led individuals such as one of our ancestors, Uchiha Madara, to come to the conclusion that there is no free will and there are no variables in history.”_

_Itachi smiled and turned to his little brother. “Does that make sense Sasuke?”_

_The ten year old prince placed his finger on his chin and thought about it for a moment. He supposed that did make sense and since his brother was going to be king over the Fire Country in a few years it was only natural that he had a knowledge of these things. He nodded. “I think so.”_

_Itachi let out a small laugh. Perhaps it was a bit much for Sasuke to swallow all at once. He turned to look at the view of the kingdom and sighed. Young Sasuke noticed that he had circles under his eyes and that his smile wasn’t as bright as it used to be. He was about to ask Itachi what was wrong when his brother suddenly spoke up._

_“So what was it you wanted to tell me Sasuke?”_

_Sasuke blinked. “Eh?”_

_Itachi turned his head to face Sasuke. “You ran in the library yelling out my name. I can only assume that you had something important to tell me.”_

_Sasuke pouted his lips in concentration for a minute when he suddenly leaped off the stool. “Oh! That’s right! Father wanted me to come fetch you. He said he had some important business to discuss with you. I think he said it had to do with negotiations with the Hyūga family.”_

_A small frown formed on Itachi’s face for a second before it was replaced by a neutral expression. “Very well. Let us go. We don’t want to keep him waiting any longer than we already have.” He stood up and made his way out of the room and down the staircase._

_Sasuke ran after him. “It’s all your fault Nii-san! I lost my concentration when you were talking in the library! If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have forgotten the errand Father sent me on!”_

_Itachi just laughed at his brother as they quickly made their way towards the throne room._

* * *

 At the time, Sasuke didn’t understand what was going on and the stress that his brother must have went through. But now he did. He just wish he understood sooner. The young prince was currently with Jiraiya sitting next to a river that was located just outside the borders of the Konoha Kingdom.

“Is it true what they say? Is there such a thing as one perfect soul mate?” Sasuke mused as he lazily gazed at the surface of the water.

“This is strange.” Jiraiya stated as he pulling out swimming clothes from his bag. “It’s not often you hear the indifferent Prince Sasuke talk about love and soul mates.”

Sasuke growled. “I heard about it from my mother. She believes in the concept of soul mates. But I find the whole thing rather baffling.”

“Oh? How so?”

“Well, let’s just say that it is true and that you’re searching for your soul mate. How exactly do you find them? And let’s suppose that you do find them. Are they really the one for you or do you just think that they’re the one? Or how about what if the person you’re meant to be with never appears or she does and you just happen to not notice that she’s the one?”

“Learn to pay attention.” Jiraiya simply stated.

“Okay. So here’s another scenario. Let’s say you have two people on earth that are destined to be together and they find one another. But one of them dies. So . . . now what? Is that it? Or what if the person fell in love again. Does that mean that the second person is their soul mate or was it the first? And if that’s the case what if the two of them were walking right next to one another . . . would it be that you met the first one by chance and then back luck that they died? Or would it be the second one and the first one was just a coincidence?”

Sasuke picked up a stone and skipped it across the water. “Does this mean everything is chance or are there things that are meant to be?” He scratched his head as he picked up another stone. He really couldn’t understand why his mother believed in all of this. Especially concerning her current relationship with his father.

After changing in swimming attire Jiraiya approached the troubled boy and patted his shoulder. “As much as we would sometimes like to leave everything to Fate, we cannot. She’s already got a lot to do. Sometimes we need to reach out and give her a hand.” He pulled out a pair of binoculars and headed down the riverbank.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. “What are you going to do with those?”

The artist just smiled. “Research.”

Skeptical, the young prince allowed the artist continue on his way while quietly following him.

* * *

 Tenten was walking to the orphanage with a basket of food in her hand. Usually, Kagome would be accompanying her but she was busy preparing for her mission for the Earth Country. Although she was happy that Kagome got the opportunity to travel she was a bit angry at Kaguya for sending her out there. Kaguya stated that Kagome needed the experience but Tenten knew better. She only chose Kagome to go so that she wouldn’t make it to the festival that the Royal Family was hosting. But as much as she would like to protest against Kaguya, Kagome informed her that she would rather go on the mission rather than the festival.

She finally made it to the orphanage where she saw Naruto talking with another young man who was incredibly pale and had short black hair.

“Naruto!” Tenten called out while waving her hand. Naruto turned around and waved back. After he waved he turned back to the other man. After a moment the man nodded and left.

When Tenten approached Naruto she glanced at the man’s retreating figure. “Naruto, who was that?”

Naruto simply shrugged. “He’s an apprentice of the artist Jiraiya.”

Tenten nodded. “Huh. Interesting.” She turned and faced the door of the orphanage. “Well, are you ready?”

“Yeah. Let’s go.”

They entered into the building, only to be immediately surrounded by young children.

“It’s Naruto Nīchan!”

“Tenten! Have you come to play with us?”

“Whatcha bring us?”

Tenten laughed as the children all spoke at once and tried to get their attention. “All right. All right. One at a time now.”

Naruto picked up a small girl clinging to his leg as he attempted to usher the children towards the kitchen. “C’mon guys. Let’s all sit down so Tenten can give you guys some snacks.”

The children all leaped for joy as they all followed Naruto to the kitchen. Tenten placed the basket on the table and began to distribute the food when there was a knock at the door. Tenten and Naruto cast questioning looks at one another, wondering who else would be visiting the orphanage. One boy with red hair immediately ran to the door. “I’ll get it!” He took off towards the door as Tenten was near to finishing distributing the food.

“Hinata Nee-chan!”

Naruto and Tenten looked up at one another then turned towards the front door to see the Hyūga heiress being dragged into the orphanage by the boy. Hinata was laughing at something the boy said when she looked over to the other children and saw Naruto. Her face flush as she caught him staring at her. She gave a bow to both Naruto and Tenten as she addressed them.

“H-hello.”

Naruto blinked and smiled brightly. “Hey there! Watcha doing here?”

Before Hinata could reply Tenten slapped Naruto’s arm. “Naruto! Don’t be so rude!” Tenten then turned to the young heiress and bowed. “My apologies. His manners are terrible. What he meant was that we usually don’t see you here so we were just surprised.”

Hinata’s mouth formed an ‘o’ shape in realization. “Ah, w-well that’s b-because-”

Naruto laughed and waved his hand. “It’s okay. You don’t need to provide an explanation for us. In fact,” he turned to where Tenten was handing out food to the children in the kitchen. “We were just getting ready for snack and story time. Wanna join us?”

Hinata meekly nodded as the kids cheered and continued distributing the snacks to one another. Once everyone had gotten something to eat they all gathered in the small living room where Tenten sat herself on a cushion and all the other children sat all around her with mountains of food balancing in their tiny hands. Naruto started a fire in the fireplace and sat down behind the children. Hinata glanced around, wondering where to sit when Naruto patted a cushion that was placed right next to him. Hinata slowly seated herself next to him, cheeks getting redder as she lowered herself onto the pillow. Noticing her blush, the children let out quiet giggles as they non-too-subtlety stared at the two of them. Tenten cleared her throat, getting everyone’s attention, and began her story.

_In a time of peace and prosperity, a young farmer lived in the middle of a valley that was surrounded by mountains and forests. The valley was small and did not have many riches but the people were humbled and were pleased to help one another should troubles arrive. The young farmer lived at the edge of the valley at the top of a small hill that allowed him to get a view of the village. Although he had everything he had needed, he seemed very unhappy. He wanted to do more than live his life as a farmer. He was no longer young and had never been out of the valley. Deciding that now would be good time to travel the world, he had informed the people and asked them to care for his gardens and animals. So he packed his things and began his journey._

_Terrified at what dangers lied ahead, he went to the village priest to ask for a blessing of a safe journey. The priest agreed and made a prayer for the farmer to have a safe journey. But before the farmer departed, the priest had gave him a final message._

_“Although your desire is to go on an adventure, remember that the real voyage of discovery consists of not seeking new lands but in having new eyes.”_

_Confused but still taking the message to heart, the farmer remembered the priest’s words and off he went. He walked up the mountain that had a trail that would lead him out of the valley. Once he made it to the top he took one glance at the view of the small valley. Taking in the sight, he ingrained the image in his mind to remember his home. After a few moments of reminiscing he finally headed out._

_He wandered over the mountains. He crossed rivers and came across several other villages during his travels. They talked with him about their lands, the different animals that they watched over, and their cultures. This all fascinated the farmer as he had been traveling for a few months. One day, he was walking across the beach, gazing out onto the never ending ocean when he crossed paths with an animal he had never seen before._

_“I see that you are a traveler.” The animal commented as he glanced at the farmer’s belongings on his back. “To what destination are you trying to reach?”_

_“I have no specific destination. I am merely wandering to where I have not been.”_

_“So you are aimlessly wandering.” The animal mused. He settled himself on a log and continued to observe the farmer. “Interesting.”_

_“What kind of animal are you? If you don’t mind me asking.” The farmer quickly added. “I have never seen a creature like you before.”_

_“I am of the Mustela nivalis family. The common folk know me as a weasel.” The animal answered._

_The famer glanced at the weasel with curiosity. “How fascinating. What luck to meet a fellow creature that I would not have encountered had I stayed in my valley.”_

_Hearing this, the weasel’s ears perked up. “Valley? You come from a valley you say? Surrounded by mountains and forests?”_

_The farmer nodded. “Why yes I do.” He paused as he looked at the small mammal suspiciously. “Why do you ask?”_

_Hopping from the log to the sand, the weasel stretched out his small legs. “I have been to different places. A valley surrounded by mountains and forests is not one of those places. With your permission, I would like to accompany you on your travels until we reach this valley of yours.” He looked up to see a bewildered expression on the farmer’s face._

_Every person that the farmer has come across had not expressed any desire to visit his home. This weasel was the first. He didn’t just seem interested to know more about it, he wanted to visit the valley himself! The farmer thought about it for a moment. Although he didn’t know the weasel’s motive for wanting to visit the valley he figured that it was better than traveling alone. The weasel was small and probably didn’t require much food and besides, having an animal companion seemed much better than traveling alone._

_Deciding that he would allow the weasel to accompany him, they both had set off. It turned out that bringing the weasel was not such a bad idea after all. The weasel was very knowledgeable when it came to different types of climates for each environment they came across. He also warned the farmer of the dangers of the lands with the poisonous plants and other animals that resided in the different environments. The farmer decided that he was content with his decision in allowing the weasel to accompany him. While they were camping out the farmer remembered something very important._

_Eating his dinner, the farmer glanced at the weasel who was grooming himself by the camp fire. “Forgive me if this seems sudden but I must know. Why are you so interested in going to my valley? You seem to have gone to many places and you’re interested in going to my valley home. It’s almost as if you’ve never been to a valley.”_

_“My interest?” The weasel clarified. “If you must know then I’m looking for something of value. And I have reason to believe that your valley has it.”_

_“Oh? Is that so?” The farmer asked. He never had really considered the possibility. His village was small and humble. They had no wealth but they had enough of what they needed to live._

_“Never trust a weasel to tell the truth about his objective.” A small voice pierced the cold air._

_Surprised at the unknown voice, the farmer and the weasel jumped up and looked around to see where the voice came from._

_“Look up.” The voice called out. They both looked up to see a crow flying right above them. “I hope you don’t mind if I join you.”_

_A bit startled by the sudden appearance of the crow, the farmer glanced at the weasel, who was in a defensive position with his back stiff and teeth bared._

_“You may.” The farmer answered hesitantly. He narrowed his eyes at the crow, who made herself comfortable on top of the farmer’s pack. Once she had settled, the weasel relaxed from his defensive stance. The three of them sat in silence for a few minutes when the farmer spoke to the crow. “Pardon me, but what did you mean by the truth?”_

_“Everyone has a goal that they strive for. If they have an opportunity to gain something then they will do whatever it takes to obtain it.” The crow answered simply while she was cleaning her feathers. “But do not think that the weasel has ill intentions. What he considers to be treasured is different than what you think has significance.”_

_“Really?” The farmer turned to the weasel. “Is that so?”_

_Still uneasy with the crow’s presence, the weasel shifted a little bit before settling down in a cozy spot next to the fire before answering the farmer. “You said that you left your home to go on an adventure but your valley contains the greatest treasure that you could ever have that no other place could offer you.”_

_“I-” The farmer paused as he thought about the valley that he came from. After thinking about it, he really did miss his land. The gardens that he took care of. The chickens that wandered in their pen. The horses that would graze on the grass up the hill of his house. The cows he milked every morning. The pigs that rolled in the fresh mud after it rained. He frowned as he realized he had been away for quite a long time._

_“Never dismiss home.” The crow advised him._

_The farmer glanced at the crow who continued to stare at him in silence while the weasel shifted his gaze between the two of them. When night came and they all went to rest, the farmer stayed awake as he thought about how the villagers back in the valley were doing. He was gone for several months so he wondered if anything had changed. After pondering about it for a while, he had decided to return home after being away for so long._

_Heeding the advice the crow had given him the farmer headed home to his valley at dawn. With the company of the weasel and the crow, the journey was pleasant and not dull much to the farmer’s pleasure. It took a while to retrace his steps but with his new companions to help direct him, the farmer returned to the valley in no time. Once he stood on the top of the mountain that revealed the entire valley he smiled at the familiarity of his home._

_“Everything seems exactly as I left it.” He sighed. He glanced at his animal companions who were also glancing down at the valley with great interest. The farmer breathed in the fresh scent that he had not smelled in a long time. Ah, it was nice._

_“Now then, it is time to see how my farm is doing.” He carefully made his way down the mountain and into the village. All the villagers saw him and welcomed him back with such delight that he was safe and in good health. Blissful to be back and eager to get home, the farmer quickly made it back home to find that his farm had been well taken care of by the villagers. The animals were treated well and the gardens were lush with vegetables and fruits. He took a peak at a berry bush when a butterfly flew right up to his nose and flew away into the gardens._

_“Oh!” Exclaimed the weasel. “So this is your home!” He scurried inside the house and took in the view from the window. “This is quite remarkable.”_

_“My home is nice.” The farmer agreed. “However, there is still work for me to do.” He glanced around his farm and noticed a couple of things. There were a few adjustments he could do to make his farm better. He had new spices and other plants he had gotten from his travels that he could grow. With the new recipes that he received he could also try to grow more food to share with the rest of the villagers. There was also easier ways to get water without having to carry a bucket to and fro from the valley river, like the waterwheel and wells he saw from the different places he had come across. He also had to reconstruct his house to adjust to the changes in the different seasons. Oh, there was so much that he had to do and hardly any time to do it!_

_After the farmer placed his belongings down and started to get to work, the crow and the weasel watched him peacefully._

_“Never had I understood what home really means.” Said the weasel. “I have been to many places but I could never find a place to call my own. I had seen different locations being called ‘home’ by many people but yet I could never understand why. They are all so different.”_

_“So you say.” The crow said. “A home does not necessarily mean it is a locality.”_

_Lying down and stretching his legs the weasel snorted. “If home is not a location then why do people go back to the same place when they are away for so long?”_

**_And yet, you determined that this had a treasure that no other place could offer our traveler._ ** _Thought the crow. “I believe that humans associate a place for home because whenever they go away from a setting they leave something of themselves behind. And they return because there are things in them that they can find again only by going back there. That is what some humans consider as ‘home’. Or it could be people. Some humans familiarize themselves with the ones they love and they conclude that as long as they were with the ones they love then they are home. Perhaps home is not a place but simply an irrevocable condition that can only happen if you’re with your loved ones.”_

_“Never had I thought that being with others could mean home as well.” The weasel wondered out loud as he gazed up at the sky. “I hope to make this place my home. If our friend permits it.”_

_Delighted to hear the news, the crow informed the traveler of their wish to stay. Ecstatic, the farmer was more than happy to welcome his new friends to his humble home. Once he had settled back in his home, he was eager to share his discoveries of his travels to his friends in the village. He told the villagers stories about the different foods, clothes, work, and cultures that they had. The farmer had also shared his knowledge on new developments that had occurred outside the valley in hopes of having the village use these advances to better improve their village. In time, the village grew larger and used the farmer’s knowledge and discoveries to grow the village larger and develop it into a new civilization. As decades passed, the village was still humble but with the farmer’s new views, they had encouraged their youth to go out of the valley to explore and discover new things of the world around them. And each time they did, they would always return home to share with their loved ones._

_did, they would always return home to share with their loved ones._

Tenten quietly shut the book as all the children gazed up in awe at her. The children then began to clap and shower the miko with compliments and begged her to tell another story.

Naruto glanced at Hinata and grinned when he noticed her own shocked face. “She’s pretty great at telling stories. She used to tell me stories when I was little right after K-” Naruto paused and gave a sad smile.

“Right after what?” Hinata asked.

Naruto blinked. “Hmm? Oh! Nothing. Just old memories of family.” He slowly stood up and stretche his arms over his head, causing Hinata’s cheeks to heat up and turn pink.

“So, uh . . . I didn’t know that you come here often. What brings you to the orphanage?” Naruto asked.

“O-oh. Well, that’s because . . .” 

* * *

 Tenten walked out of the orphanage with a joyful expression on her face. It seemed that the Lady Hinata had taken an interest in Naruto. Well good for them. She mused to herself about how sweet the two of them were and how the orphans were probably teasing them right now.

“For being an insufferable woman you’re quite respectable at story-telling.”

Tenten stopped dead in her tracks. She turned around to find Hyūga Neji with his arms crossed over his chest, leaning against the wall at the front of the orphanage. He didn’t move from his position as he just continued to stare at her, causing her to become uncomfortable.

Recovering from her shock, she shook her head. “What are you doing here?”

“I am currently waiting for Hinata-sama since I am to escort her home.” He replied.

Tenten narrowed her eyes at him. Was he waiting outside for her the whole time? “You know, it’s really hot outside. You could have joined us inside.”

“I shall acknowledge the gesture.” He stated coldly. “But I’d rather not. It would be unsuitable for me to be in there.”

Did he really just-? “Why? Because you think you’re too good to be in the same building as poor children who have no families to support them?” She angrily stated.

Neji’s eyes slightly flashed from her sudden outburst. But Tenten didn’t notice, nor did she care.

“Are they not ‘clean’ enough? Or are they just too ‘poor’ for you? Now I don’t know what kind of manners you rich people are taught but just because certain people don’t have as much money as you, that doesn’t mean you treat them like filth!”

Neji’s eyes hardened. “That’s-”

“If it’s ‘too much’ for you to even come inside, why do you even bother showing up at all? Hmm? We’re not animals! We’re people just like you! And we work hard to earn a living and we are the reason why the king has a kingdom to rule over. We’re the citizens that serves as a base for this country! But I guess rich nobles like you don’t even consider people like us important huh?” She crossed her arms and stepped closer to him. “Money is all that matters. You all have such perfect lives that you had no troubles growing up did you?”

His eyes suddenly darkened. “Now wait just a minute. Y-”

“Oh shut up!” Tenten yelled. “Don’t you dare speak! I don’t want to hear another word out of you. In fact, I’m done talking with you. I don’t ever want to see your face again.”

She stormed away as the young Hyūga continued to stare out her, completely dumbfounded. He too shocked and angry to even notice that Hinata-sama and Naruto had walked out earlier and overheard the entire thing. Neji’s eyes narrowed as he thought about the miko’s words and her directed anger towards him. Something didn’t feel right. If she was truly as angry as he speculated, then why did it look like she was about to burst into tears before she walked away?


	7. Unknown Feelings Planted

Kagome was settled comfortably on a flat stone underneath the waterfall of Mount Myouboku that was located on the borders of the Konoha Kingdom. She had been previously meditating due to her need of guidance. Before she came to the waterfall Kagome had been at the shrine, praying in preparation for her journey to the earth kingdom. As it was going to be a long and treacherous trip she had tried to come up with a way to get there safely. It was at least a three week, if not longer, journey by foot except she didn’t want to walk or take a horse all the way to the Earth Kingdom. It was too dangerous. The road was filled with thieves and bandits that stalked the trails between the different countries.

She had been attempting to pray in the shrine for inspiration on how to make her journey over there. But it was of no use. First of all, she couldn’t concentrate. The image of the Uchiha prince trying to learn her name kept nipping at the back of her head. She growled to herself as she attempted to get the annoying prince out of her head. Why was she constantly thinking about him?! They only had two conversations for crying out loud! And the prince believes that both incidences were with two different women. But in the end it was for the best. Who knows what he would have done if he found out that she, a commoner, had dressed up as a noblewoman. She could be sent to the Feudal Lords and they can have her executed. But now was not the time for that. She had more important matters to fuss over.

When she arrived at the waterfall she removed her outer miko garbs and stripped down to her white robe underneath. She carefully stepped down on to the rock platform underneath the waterfall and set herself down underneath the pouring water. As the robe absorbed the water and became soaked, Kagome took in deep breaths as she meditated. She had been at the waterfall for the past hour when she heard rustling of bushes coming from a ledge above her.

* * *

 Prince Sasuke was quietly following Lord Jiraiya, wondering where he was heading, until he saw him settle underneath a couple of bushes and sit still. He heard the artist let out a few giggles as he was hidden in the thick bushes. Curious as to why the artist would laugh in such a manner, Sasuke carefully stepped closer and peeked over the ledge that Master Jiraiya had settled on. Underneath the large waterfall was a young woman meditating on a flat rock. Judging by how clung to her body her robe was she must have been there for quite some time.

Sasuke’s eyebrow twitched. The famous artists Jiraiya, one of the three Legendary Sannin, and an honored guest as his father’s palace, was an old perverted man. He scowled at the old man who was peeking at the woman with his binoculars while leaning a bit too far over the ledge.

The young woman looked up at the edge and saw the prince and the famous artist towering above her on the ledge. She immediately shrieked while attempting to cover herself with her arms. Startled by the scream, Master Jiraiya also gave out a yell as he lost his balance from leaning too far and fell over the ledge and into the water. The prince looked down and rushed down to the bottom of the waterfall.

Master Jiraiya coughed out water as he pulled himself out of the water and onto the rock that the young woman was meditating on.

"Master Jiraiya! Are you alright?" Sasuke called as he ran into the water and helped the artist onto his feet.

Jiraiya let out a laugh. "I should consider myself lucky that the water was deep enough to break my fall."

Sasuke scowled at the old man and turned to the woman, who had her robe clutched closer to her body. "My apologies, my lady. We didn't mean to startle you. Are you hurt?"

The woman scowled at him and cautiously stepped out of the waterfall. "I am well. But to think that the Prince Uchiha Sasuke would actually spy on a woman while she was bathing."

The prince frowned as her voice sounded oddly familiar. He took a closer look at the woman who was soaked from head to toe. His eyes widened in realization. "Lady Chieko."

The lady bowed in acknowledgement. "Your Highness."

Shaking himself out of his stupor, Sasuke removed his cape and placed it around her. "Here, you must be freezing."

"Oh . . . thank you." Chieko said hesitantly, surprised that the prince would offer her his cape.

"We have a camp set up not too far from here." Sasuke pointed to the direction that Jiraiya was making his way to. "Come with us and dry yourself by the fire."

"I-" The lady spoke but was cut off by the prince.

"Please, I insist." 

* * *

 Kagome was caught off guard when she found Master Jiraiya and Prince Sasuke near the waterfall where she was meditating. She was uncomfortable and unsure of what to do as the artist was dressing himself behind the horses while she and the prince were drying off next to the fire that had been prepared. But before the prince could get comfortable she was definitely going to give him a good talking to!

“What were you and Lord Jiraiya doing on the ledge at the waterfall of Mount Myouboku? Were you two peeping at me?!”

Sasuke’s face whipped to face Kagome. “I was not involved with that I swear!”

Not believing him, Kagome continued to glare at him. “Of course you weren’t.” She stated sarcastically.

Now it was the prince’s turn to glare. “You don’t believe me.”

“Of course I don’t!” Kagome spat. “It was only the other day that you were insistent on learning my name and now I find you and that pervert of an artist spying on me while I was bathing!”

“Lord Jiraiya was the one who came here! I was curious as to what he was up to and followed him. By the time I saw you, you looked up and Master Jiraiya lost his balance and fell.” Sasuke indicated. “And speaking of which, where are your attendants? If a lady is to bathe I would assume she would have someone to keep a watch out.”

Kagome froze as her anger vanish instantly and she instead slowly focused on coming up with an excuse. “I . . . decided to . . . give them the day off.”

“A day off?” The prince repeated in disbelief.

“Why yes. Don’t you get tired of people having to wait on you all the time?” Kagome questioned. She may not know every single detail of noble life but she knew that the servants of the Royal family were constantly by the family members’ sides for their every beck and call.

“Yes. But they’re servants. That’s what they do. It’s their job.”

Kagome openly scowled at the prince. “Well I wish I could dismiss my servants as easily as you do yours.” She sighed and stood up. “Pardon me but I must be going.”

Sasuke stood up as well. “You’re angry aren’t you?”

Kagome shook her head. “No.”

The prince narrowed his eyes at the noblewoman. “Yes, you are. Come on. Admit it.”

Kagome turned to face the prince. “Yes, if you must know!”

“Why?”

“Because you are trying to beat me with your snobbery.”

Sasuke stared at her for a moment. “It would seem that you are a walking contradiction, my lady.”

“Me?” Kagome asked.

“Yes. You spout the ideas of a utopian society and yet you live the life of a noble.”

Kagome huffed. “And you own the land of an entire kingdom and yet you hold no interest nor pride in working it. Quite the contradiction too, is it not?”

The prince frowned. “First I am arrogant and now I have no pride.” He crossed his arms and raised his eyebrows at the woman. “How did I manage that?”

Kagome nearly rolled her eyes. “You have everything you can ask for and yet there is no joy in this world for your eyes. Then you continue mocking those who would see it for its possibilities.”

Sasuke stared at her in amazement. “How do you do it?”

“Do what?”

“Live everyday with this kind of passion. Do you not get exhausted by it?”

“Only when I’m around you.” Kagome turned away from him. “Why do you irritate me?” She quietly mumbled under her breath.

Sasuke leaned forward and whispered in her ear. “Why do you allow the occasion?”

He leaned away from her to see her glower up at him only to laugh a few moments later. He joined her laughter with a chuckle of his own. Kagome’s laughter soon came to a halt when she felt Botan’s presence getting closer to them. She frowned as she realized that Botan was probably searching for her, most likely sent by Kaguya. Whatever the reason, Botan could not find her with the prince.

Kagome shrugged off the cloak and handed it back to the prince. “Forgive me, your Highness. But it seems that I lost track of the hour.”

She turned away and began to run towards Botan with Jiraiya calling out to her. “Be careful, the wind is strong. Be sure not to get carried by it and fly away!”

“Tomorrow I’m playing tennis with the Wind Country’s prince at three. Will you come?” Sasuke called out to her.

“Forgive me, I must go!” Kagome called out as she ran. When she disappeared the prince narrowed his eyes and sighed. “Why does she keep doing that?” 

* * *

 As Kagome was running in the forest she suddenly came to a halt as she suddenly came up with an idea. She clapped her hands together. “Of course! That’s brilliant.”

She picked up the edge her robe and ran towards the waterfall to pick up her miko robes and soon sped towards the shrine. Fantastic. It was brilliant. Now all she needed to do was go visit an old family friend for a favor he owed her.

* * *

 After she dried herself and put on her miko robes, she assisted Botan in her archery lessons and sped into town afterwards. In Konoha, there was another shrine, similar to hers that was a school to practice spiritual powers. Unlike the Higurashi shrine, this shrine was owned by a group of monks who would train young boys to be priests. Master Mushin was the Head Monk until he retired and his eldest apprentice Ungai took his place as Head Monk. Being known for his ruthlessness against demons, Ungai became quickly famous as a stern instructor and a cold man. But Kagome knew the old man better. Master Ungai only wanted to prepare his students to protect themselves and stay safe. And so far, not one of his students had died because they couldn’t defend themselves.

He became much more tedious with his students after the Higurashi Head Miko had passed away 22 years ago. Master Ungai was very bothered by the fact that Kikyou had not sensed that demon that was just outside their home. And as a result, he took extra precautions in training his students.

Once Kagome made it to the shrine she headed over towards the back where the sleeping quarters of the monks were. She paused when she saw a short, bald monk with red cheeks and hazy eyes, starring up in the sky. Scowling she stomped right up to him and hovered over him.

“Master Mushin.”

When he gave no response Kagome called out his name a little louder. “Master Mushin!”

She heard a faint snort along with a grunt coming from the monk. Kagome sighed as she lifted her foot and nudged him in the ribs. “MASTER MUSHIN!”

He sputtered as he sat up and coughed. With a sour expression he turned to get a good look at the person who woke him from his map, planning on giving them a good taking to when he recognized the young Higurashi miko staring down at him.

“Oh, Kagome!” Mushin exclaimed. “What brings you here?” He paused as he looked around, his awareness of their surrounding kicking in.

“I was wondering if you could tell me where Master Miroku is.” Kagome answered.

The older monk looked at her questionably. Knowing the time of day, it would be obvious where his youngest apprentice was. “He is not with . . . the . . . erm-ladies?”

Kagome shook her head. “No. I checked there so I assumed he would be here resting.” Her eyes widened. “He hasn’t left the kingdom for an exorcism has he?”

Mushin lifted his hands to calm the young woman. “No. No. He’s still in Konoha.” He scratched the back of his head in thought. “Ah! He’s probably at the palace. In the servant’s quarters no doubt.”

Kagome exhaled. He was probably flirting with the palace chef’s daughter. Ayame was her name or so Kagome recalled. That would not do at all. She couldn’t go to the palace. She was already there once as a noblewoman and she really didn’t want to bump into the prince again. She would just have to ask him tomorrow.

“Master Mushin, when Miroku returns could you give him a message for me?”

* * *

 Lord Hiashi stood outside in the gardens, observing his adopted son sparing with a few members of the family. Earlier that day, Neji had returned home from the orphanage in an obviously very foul mood with a worried-looking Hinata trailing right behind him. So when Neji had immediately requested for hand-to-hand practice, Hiashi knew that the young man had wanted to blow off some steam. He inwardly winced as Neji knocked down one of the participants on his back. A lot of steam. Curious as to why his son, who was usually a calm and unreadable person, would suddenly be so obviously furious he had asked his eldest daughter as to what was wrong. Much to his shock, she had informed him that it had to do with a woman that they had come across in the orphanage. He was slightly irritated that she only told him that Neji and the woman had an argument and nothing more than that. Lord Hiashi inwardly frowned as he contemplated on what the argument could have been about. What did they fight about that would cause his son to be so distraught?

* * *

 Neji grunted as he kicked one of the family’s guards in the chest, sending him flying across the sparing field. He glanced around as he realized that he was the only one left standing. He growled to himself as he headed towards his chambers. Damn. He thought that he would be able to cool off with the sparing but he still couldn’t get that woman’s words out of his head. The most frustrating thing about it was that he couldn’t understand why. Why did her words anger him? Why would he care about what she thought after they had only interacted for 2 days?! But worst of all, why did her tears bother him? Her retreating figure embedded in the back of his mind was nagging at his conscious all day. He remembered how he felt a small impulse to go after her and stop her crying! Why?! What was she to him?

Yes, she was the first person who yelled at him for his behavior. Yes, she was the first person, who he had seen, who had stood up to a noble to defend her friend. And yes, she was the first woman that had combat skills of some sort. Even if it was to perform an exorcism. She was, admittedly, skilled with weapons and had good aim too. But still, that wasn’t a good enough reason for her to stay in his mind. Neji decided that he should have a serious conversation with his aunt before the day was done.

* * *

 At the dinnertime, Kaguya was sitting at the head of the table with Tsubaki, Momiji, and Botan to her left and Kagome and Tenten to her right with Kaede and Hisao standing behind her. All the mikos looked at Kaguya expectantly as Kaguya sat in her seat with her head held up high and her eyes gently closed.

“As you are all aware, the Earth Daimyo has sent a request to us to handle a demon problem they’re having with their borders that touch the No Man’s Land.” Her eyes slowly opened and glanced down at Kagome who had a contempt look on her face. “Kagome has been given that assignment and will head to the No Man’s Land shortly.”

As she turned to face Kagome, Kagome nodded. “Tomorrow I will go to the market to pick up some supplies and head out the day after that.”

Kaguya narrowed her eyes at Kagome. “And I assume that you have a means of transportation. I cannot spare you one of the horses.”

Kagome smiled in contempt. “That’s all right. I have found way to travel.”

Kaguya stared suspiciously at the girl. “Hmm. Well then, let’s discuss other matters.” She turned towards Tenten. “I had noticed during last night’s dinner that the candle sticks were few in numbers and they were dim. We could barely see our plates! Where are the rest of them?”

Tenten swallowed. “It appears that they’re missing Miko-sama.”

“Missing?”

Tenten flinched. “I’ve looked everywhere! I’ve searched high and low for them.”

“It would also appear that the upstairs hall painting is gone too.” Tsubaki commented lazily as she filed her nails. “It seems that we have a thief in our midst.”

Kaguya glared at the Higurashi elders and Tenten. “So this is how I am to be treated? After all these years together? Well, if that’s the case then I’ll just sell you to the Feudal Lords along with the rest of the criminals.”

Momiji turned to her teacher. “Oh, didn’t you hear? The prince approached the king and asked him to realize all those men earlier this afternoon.”

Kagome’s eyes widened as she gasped. “He did?”

Kaguya narrowed her eyes and glanced at Momiji. Momiji noticed her lady’s stare and hurriedly continued with her news. “By royal decree, any man who sails must be compensated.”

“Compensated? How ridiculous.” Kaguya scoffed. She could not believe this. “What is this world coming to?”

Tsubaki rolled her eyes at this uninteresting news that she could care less about. She had other things to be concerned with. She sat up straight and motioned for Kagome to pour her some tea. As Kagome stood up and went to fetch the tea pot Tsubaki turned to her teacher. “More importantly, I want to know more about this ‘noblewoman’ that everyone seems to be talking about.”

Kagome returned with a plate carrying the tea pot cups. When she placed it on the tables Hisao and Kaede Higurashi gave her knowing smiles. As Kagome poured Tsubaki’s tea, Tsubaki continued with her rant. “Just who is she? I heard she had it out with the prince.”

“Well, whoever _she_ is we’ll just have to _crush_ her.” Kagome nearly dropped the tea cup but quickly composed herself as she carefully poured tea for Kaguya. Once she was done pouring the tea to the other mikos she quietly made her way back to the kitchen with the remnants of her family smiling and keeping her secret to themselves.

* * *

 The Hyūga matriarch was taking a stroll in one of the palace gardens. It was quiet with the sounds of the light splashing from the ponds, the chirping of the birds, and the wind blowing against the green grass and her dark hair that her eldest daughter inherited from her. She took in a breath as she strolled in her favorite part of the palace garden and smiled when she sensed her son approaching.

“Hanako-sama.”

Letting out a sigh of slight annoyance the lady turned towards Neji and gave slight pout. “Now Neji,” she scolded. “there’s no reason for you to address me so formally. We are family after all.”

With his cheeks turning a bit pink, Neji cringed and glanced down at the ground. “My apologies my la- . . . aunt Hanako-san.”

Lady Hanako sighed. Ever since her and her husband took him in she had always wanted him to call her ‘mother’. But that never happened much to her dismay. From the time he was 4 years old to the years where he grew up to become a young man, Neji had always been reserved and never opened up to anyone. Although he was polite and kind to his cousins he never opened himself up and confided in them. Any difficulties he faced, he kept them to himself.

Today, however, was quite different. Something was bothering the young man. She could definitely feel the irritation and the frustration that he was going through just by the way he carried himself. Her husband and his brother were the exact same way when they were younger. Whenever the two of them had something nagging on their mind, they would try to spar and shake it off, and they would always have these particular looks on their faces. As if they were somehow lost and unsure of where to turn to next. But seeing the look on Neji’s face told her that this was a new and unsettling feeling that he was going through. She sat down on the bench and patted the seat next to her. Neji hesitantly took a seat next to her and they both sat in silence for a few moments.

Sensing that this might be a touchy subject for Neji, Lady Hanako slowly placed her arm around his shoulders. “Tell me Neji, what ails you?”


	8. Close Call

The palace court was set up for a tennis match between the Crown Prince of Konoha and the youngest Prince of Suna in the early morning. Following shortly was the arrival of the princes and princess of the Suna kingdom. The streets were cleared and the royals were escorted by the Konoha Royal Guard with Captain Haruno in charge of their safety. It was noon in the Kingdom of Konoha and most of the kingdom’s young ladies were at the court observing the match between Prince Sasuke and Prince Gaara.

They were playing the game for a while until Gaara hit the ball and caused it to bounce out of the court and into the crowd that was observing the game. Not wanting to venture in a crowd of cheering women Sasuke ignored the ball and was about to go fetch a new one when the Suna prince pointed behind Sasuke with this tennis racket. Sasuke paused for a moment and turned around to find a young woman holding the tennis ball. She had long black hair and blue eyes. If memory served him correctly, she was one of the mikos at the Higurashi shrine. His eyes narrowed as he approached her hesitantly while also trying to remember her name. He slowly approached her as she held the ball in her hands.

Sasuke gave a polite nod. “My lady.”

The woman glanced at the tennis ball and back to him. “You’re Highness.”

Unsure of what to do, he quickly glanced up at his parents who were watching the match. When his mother gave him a firm glare he turned back to the woman. “You’re looking well today, Lady . . . .” Sasuke slowly stated as he tried to remember her name. But it couldn’t come to him and he stood there staring at her intently, hoping it would come to him.

The woman’s lips twitched slightly in annoyance. “Tsubaki, Your Majesty.”

“Ah, my apologies my lady. You do look beautiful.” Sasuke mentally cringed as those words escaped his mouth. He couldn’t believe that he forgot her name. He hoped that she would accept his apologizes and let him continue the game. Luckily, or rather unluckily, Tsubaki crossed her arms as she slightly tilted her head. “Feel free to look Your Majesty.”

Sasuke blinked as he stood there, unsure of how to respond, staring uneasily at the woman. Well she had gotten over it pretty fast. He slightly bowed and turned back to finish the game.

Unbeknownst to Sasuke, his mother was glancing down at the lady he just spoke to with interest. If her son was dawdling on interacting then she would have to take matters into her own hands.

* * *

 Kagome was arranging the vegetables in her stand with Tenten and Kaede. They were in the middle of the market, hoping to sell their produce. Kagome needed money for some supplies for the trip and selling the vegetables and some animals from the garden was the only way to do that. But luck was in her favor and she had a few customers buy her vegetables. She collected the money that she had earned for the time being and was about to make her way to get her things when she felt a chill run down her spine.

“Good afternoon, Little Princess.”

Kagome spun around to see Lord Hitomi Kagewaki slowly making his way towards her. Lord Kagewaki was a tall man of great build with long black hair, pale skin and brown eyes. He was a noble who famous for his odd collection of artifacts that were supposedly to be from demons. There were even some rumors that the young lord was involved with dark powers such as sorcery. Whether or not that was true, Kagome didn’t know and she really didn’t want to know. All she knew was of his involvement with the Underworld of Konoha. Kagome straightened herself as she tried to keep herself preoccupied with rearranging her stand.

Lord Kagewaki strolled in front of her and gazed down at the young miko. “I must say, Little Princess, you do grow prettier every year.”

Kagome sighed as her eyebrow twitched from the nickname. “And you, Hitomi-san, are wasting your flattery.”

The Lord let out a chuckle. “I do admire a young lady with spirit.” He picked up a vegetable from one of the baskets and gazed intently at it. “I must say that it’s a shame to see the land of your ancestors decay. It’s such a pity to see what was once a great dwelling go to waste.”

Tenten stepped in front of Kagome, blocking her from the man’s view. “We have limited resources but we manage. If you’re that concerned, I suggest taking it up with the Head Miko Lady Kaguya.”

Kagewaki glared at Tenten. “I’d prefer to speak about it with Kagome, if you don’t mind.”

Kagome gave a bitter smile and presented a basket of fruit. “Grapes?”

He glanced at Kagome and scowled. “No. I shall have no business with you today. Remember that without my generosity, your pitiful little shrine would be condemned.” He swiftly turned away and headed out of the market on the main street.

Tenten and Kagome glared at the retreating man’s back. “I hate that man.” Tenten spat. “If he didn’t buy most of our produce, I’d-”

“You will do nothing.” Kagome interrupted. “You’re better than that.”

Tenten sighed as they went back to their stand. “Yeah but for him I’d make an exception. Well anyway, let’s set up the chickens and then you can go buy the things you need.”

* * *

 Why me? Sasuke mentally groaned as he was walking alongside Lady Tsubaki and her family in the market of Konoha. After the tennis game, his mother invited the young lady and her family to go on a stroll with Sasuke (thankfully Shisui came along with him so that he wouldn’t have to be by himself) while she had tea with the royal princess and princes from the Suna Kingdom.

The prince sighed as he had no idea what to do as he was making small talk with Tsubaki. While Tsubaki was idly chatting away, Sasuke turned to his cousin for help. Shisui got the message and ventured to one of the stands in the market. He appeared behind Sasuke and handed him a box.

Sasuke took the box from Shisui and presented it to Tsubaki. “Ah, you must try this. Never have you eaten anything so delicious.” He opened the box and expected her to reach in and take a piece when she did something unexpected.

Tsubaki’s lips formed into a smile as she gently closed her eyes and leaned towards him with her mouth open. Sasuke paused and glanced around awkwardly. Shisui suppressed a snort. Out of all the ladies that had attempted to court the prince, this one was the most bold. He watched his cousin carefully pick up a piece and placed it in her mouth, careful as to not touch her lips. When the food entered her mouth, Tsubaki chewed it slowly as to savor the flavor. As a moan escaped her mouth, the prince blinked uncertainly. “Do you like it?”

Oh, she did like it indeed. Whether it was the food or the fact that the food that touched her lips came from the prince’s fingertips was something Tsubaki kept to herself. She opened her eyes and happily sighed. “Like it? Why it’s positively simple.” She paused and gave a small frown. “What’s it called?”

“Chocolate.” Sasuke answered. “The monks from the Earth Country send us bricks of it.”

When they stalked closer to the Higurashi stand, Tsubaki mildly pointed to the Higurashi family. “Oh, over there is our servants.”

“Oh?” The prince glanced at the two women that were busy hustling the food on their stand. He didn’t seem interested at first but then the conversation with the Lady Chieko entered into his mind. “Well I shall be delighted to meet them.”

As the prince, Tsubaki, and the rest of their group approached, Kaede and Tenten were setting up the stand, waiting for Kagome to bring the chickens. Tenten looked up and saw the prince. She quickly gasped as she grasped Kaede’s arm who also gasped in surprise. They both stood there at a loss for words as Prince Sasuke walked up to them and nodded in acknowledgement. “Good day, Ladies.”

Before either of them could say a word, Kagome who was bent over behind them, was picking up the chickens and stood up to hand one to them. She turned to find the prince just within a few feet from her! Just as he turned to face her, she panicked and tossed the chicken upward towards his face and ducked behind her grandmother and Tenten and scurried away out of sight.

The prince jumped back swatting at the bird that was frantically flapping around his head. Tsubaki and Kaguya were shrieking while Shisui was attempting to grab the chicken. Kaede and Tenten were quickly moving back and forth in circles trying to hide Kagome who was fleeing the scene. Once Shisui had removed the chicken from Sasuke’s head, he dusted the feathers off as Kaguya stormed over to them.

“What on earth is the matter with you?! Are you trying to scare the prince to death?!”

“W-we were just startled!” Tenten exclaimed. “That’s all.”

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the two of them. Something wasn’t right. He lifted his finger and pointed at them. He pointed to the elder miko and then to the younger miko and then back to the elder miko. “Were there just the two of you?”

Kaede nodded. “And the chicken . . . your Highness.” Tenten stiffened as she glanced uncertainly at the prince and slowly nodded, confirming Kaede’s statement. The prince frowned as he continued to stare at the two of them. That was certainly odd. He could have sworn he saw someone else with them.

* * *

 After everyone had calmed down from the chicken incident, Kaguya left her pupils with the prince and the Royal guard as she decided that Tsubaki was doing just fine with the prince on her own and wanted some time to herself. The busy market slightly reminded Kaguya of her home in the Fire Capital. It was always busy with crowds of citizens making their ways through the shops and making bargains with the shop keepers.

Her peace, however, was short-lived when a voice stopped the Head Miko in her tracks. “You seem pleased with yourself Kaguya.”

Kaguya froze as she recognized that smooth voice that was accompanied by a chilling aura. Her contempt smile quickly turned into a livid glare. She whipped around to see a pair of red eyes staring back at her from the shadows of an alley.

“Naraku.” She snarled. Her temper grew as she heard a chuckle from the demon when he stepped out and stood in front of the miko glancing down at her with a smug look on his face. “I’m surprised to find you in such a pleasant state. I would image that you would be seething with rage these past few days.”

Kaguya’s slightly widened as she realized his implications. “So you _lied_ to me! I knew it! You promised me and this whole time you deceived me!”

Naraku flipped his head back and barked out a laugh. Kaguya stared at him in surprise before her glare returned. Once he had calm down he glanced back down and sneered. “ _I’m_ not the deceitful one. _You’re_ the one who didn’t keep your end of the bargain. We made a deal and you broke it.” He hissed.

Kaguya backed away from him and scoffed. “I had no choice. You know that.”

“Actually, you did. But you got sloppy and resulted damaging your payment to me.”

“I can still pay you.”

Naraku snorted. “Really? Because from where I’m standing, you destroyed what you had promised to me. You have nothing to offer me.” He looked over her and scoffed. “We’re done here.”

He turned away from Kaguya and was about to disappear into town when she chased after him and gripped his robe, preventing him from leaving.

“Wait.” She gasped as her grip tightened. “Don’t you dare leave me like this!” When he didn’t turn around to acknowledge her she frantically tugged at his robe. “There might be an alternative way to pay you.”

Naraku raised an eyebrow and turned around to face her, giving her his whole undivided attention. “Go on.”

* * *

 Sango and a small group of demon slayers were waiting patiently in front of large golden doors that led to the throne room. The doors opened and they entered inside with Sango taking the lead. Once they made their way to the front of the throne, they all got down on one knee and bowed to the young lord that sat upon the throne. Sango was in front while the other three slayers were side by side behind her.

The young lord glanced down at Sango curiously. “It has been a long time Taijiya.”

“Yes, my lord.” Sango replied. “It’s been three years.”

“I am certain that your father made sure you were aware of the responsibility you will soon hold.”

Sango removed her gaze from the floor and moved it upwards towards the young lord. “Yes. Almost all of the demons have been eradicated. However, there are still quite a few of them on the southern regions of the Fire Country. No matter how many times we’ve been sent over there they keep returning. I’m afraid to say that I don’t know what is attracting them to that region.”

The young lord stood up from his throne and walked over towards the balcony that was gave a view of the sea. He listened to the waves hit the rocky shores as they attempted to reach the palace walls but weakening as they slid down the cliff and returned where they belonged. The scent of the salt water hit his nose as the breeze gently brushed across his cheeks and pushed back his hair. He turned back to the Taijiya who were still kneeling in their positions with their heads bowed, with the exception of Sango who was following his movements.

“We can no longer be passive about this. I cannot sit by and wait for these demon commotions to stop. Soon we shall set sail and I will not leave these demons unattended.” He glanced at one of the demon slayers positioned behind Sango. “Kenji, have you made the arrangements for _her_ arrival?”

The slayer nodded. “Yes. Everything is in order. I took care of it and all that is left to do is wait.”

“For your sake, I hope we won’t wait too long.” The lord of the palace strolled out of the throne room, leaving the small group of Taijiya. Sango stood up, with the other following suit. She glanced at the door the young lord retreated to when one of her traveling companions spoke up.

“So there are some left.”

Sango nodded. “Yes Satoshi. Even after all this time.”

Mamoru, the other slayer, crossed his arms over his chest and frowned. “In that case, how long do we have before they sail?”

The other two slayers paused for a moment before glancing at Sango. She was silent for a bit until she headed out of the throne room. “Who knows but if he’s already mention leaving through the sea then we don’t have much time.”

As they followed her out of the room, Kenji called out to Sango. “Then what would you suggest?”

Sango stepped outside the palace and into the gardens where her faithful companion Kirara was waiting. “We need to send scouts. As he said, we can’t afford to be passive in our work anymore. We need to be a little bit aggressive and actually start pushing if necessary.” She climbed on the back of Kirara as the others climbed upon the horses that they brought with them. “I’m going to go ahead and take a look. Maybe I can get a clear sense of which direction she’ll arrive in.”

As the slayers boarded their horses, Satoshi glanced up at Sango. “Do you think she can help us?”

Sango’s fingers combed through Kirara’s fur as she pondered for a moment. “I believe she can. She has to. We were promised that she would.”

* * *

 Kagome gave a sigh as she was making her way towards the shrine of Master Ungai. That incident at the market was too close for comfort. She hoped that the chicken distracted the prince long enough to get away. But she did feel bad for Kaede and Tenten for having to deal with that mess. She imaged that Lady Kaguya was probably giving them a hard time from that. She let out a small giggle as she remembered the shrieks of the poor bird as everyone else was making a ruckus. Personally, she thought that the feathers would improve the prince’s look. Besides his hair already looked like a chicken’s butt so it wasn’t as if she was making it any worse. She approached the gate and was greeted by Master Mushin.

“Ah! Kagome. Welcome back. Miroku is at the training grounds with a class.”

Kagome bowed in thanks then followed Mushin towards the training grounds where Miroku was given a demonstration to a group of young pupils. Their young curious eyes gleamed as they eagerly followed his movements in wielding his staff as a weapon. One he finished his demonstration he motioned for the children to practice individually. When they picked up their own staff to mirror his movements Miroku walked over to where Kagome and Mushin were watching.

“Well, Kagome-sama. It’s certainly a pleasure to see you.” The monk greeted as he bowed.

“It has been too long Miroku.” Kagome also bowed in greeting. “As you’re aware, I need a favor.”

Miroku smiled. “Of course. You need transportation to the Iwa Kingdom in the Earth Country.”

“Yes.” Kagome confirmed. “But I don’t want to take the roads there. It’s too long and dangerous. The quickest way is to fly there and I need your help in order to do that.”

Miroku crossed his arms as he thought about it for a moment. “I see. Not to worry, I know just the thing.”

He turned and headed towards the storage house. “Hachi!”

A crash was heard from the storage house, followed by shuffling and a few shrieks as a few more crashes were heard. The door opened and out came a tanuki with a few bumps on his head. He walked up to Miroku and slightly bowed. “Yes? Master Miroku?”

Miroku tapped the tanuki’s head with his staff and then pointed to Kagome with his staff. “I have a job for you Hachi. This young miko here is Lady Higurashi Kagome. She needs to be taken to the Earth Country and with you’re flying abilities, she can make it there in a couple of days. You’ve been hired to take Lady Kagome to the Earth Country and back here safely.”

Hachi paled and immediately shook his head. “No way! I’m not going! It’s too dangerous.”

Miroku glared at the tanuki and impatiently tapped his staff against his hand, contemplating whether or not to hit him with it. “You will be greatly rewarded Hachi. I will pay you half of what the job will cost before you go and Lady Kagome will pay the other half when you return.”

The tanuki paused for a moment but then shook his head again and crossed his arms, settled on his decision. Miroku smiled and patted Hachi’s shoulder. He turned to Mushin and Kagome. “Please excuse us. I’m going to talk to him for a moment.”

As he led Hachi away, Master Mushin put his hands behind his back and sighed. “That fool has no idea what’s coming to him.”

Before Kagome could ask his meaning loud smacks and bangs were heard along with yelling and swearing. Once it quiet down, Miroku returned with Hachi who had bruises and bumps all over him. With a bright smile, Miroku patted Hachi’s back. “Have no fear Lady Kagome. Hachi has kindly agreed to take you to your destination. Isn’t that right Hachi?”

He smacked the tanuki on the back of the head, where another bump formed. Hachi nodded meekly and bowed. “Yes, wherever Lady Kagome wishes to go I will gladly escort her.”

As everyone was settling in for the night, Kagome was carefully placing the logs in the fireplace as Kaguya was sitting quietly on her chair observing Kagome intently. It was quite normal for Kaguya to watch Kagome while she does her work but tonight was different. Tonight she was staring with such intensity and silence that it actually made Kagome nervous. Normally Kaguya would make a snide comment or two but tonight she was just quiet. She had been like that all evening. She didn’t even yell at Kaede or Tenten when they got home from the market. Which surprise Kagome but she didn’t say anything as to not push her.

Suddenly Kaguya let out a sigh and let out a small laugh. Kagome whipped her head around and found Kaguya staring smugly at her.

“It will not be long now before the prince proposes to Tsubaki. Soon she and I will enter into the palace and we can spend the holidays in the other countries. It will be delightful. New Years in the Water Capital with the beaches and exotic marine life. Can you image?”

Kagome let out a breath of relief when Kaguya started acting like herself again. She smiled at Kaguya who only glanced at her pitifully. “No. I suppose you can’t.”

Kagome frowned before she walked behind Kaguya and started brushing her hair. “It has been difficult. But look how far I’ve come in life.” Kaguya mused to herself. “I am Head Miko of the shrine and the most powerful in all the country. And soon Tsubaki will be queen. My own successor.”

Kagome continued to brush Kaguya’s hair until Kaguya’s hand gripped Kagome’s hands. She moved them away from her hair and tugged Kagome to position her in front of her chair. She glanced up and down at the girl. “It’s quite a shame that your sister died. Your only mother figure and in no time she was gone. You grew up without a mother and your sister took her place in raising you.” She scoffed as she remembered first meeting Kagome. “I don’t understand how you grew up so wild with a feminine figure raising you.”

She continued to glance down at Kagome who gave her a small smile. Kaguya almost bristled before she sent her away. “You may leave now. I’m tired.”

The girl gave a nod before she left the room and gently closed the door. Kaguya scowled at the door. That silly girl. That silly auspicious girl.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Sorry I haven't updated in so long. For the past few months I've been getting a new job and settling into a new place. But now that I'm settled in, I'm getting right back into posting some more chapters. I'm not exactly sure how long it will take me to update due to the new job but I will do my very best. 
> 
> Thanks so much for your support and I hope you enjoy!!!


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